Self-sabotage is when we engage in behaviors that create issues in our daily life and undermines our long-term goals. It can look like self-medicating behaviors, comfort eating or procrastination. Sometimes self-sabotage is born out of the bullshit stories we tell ourselves about why we can’t reach our goals. We rationalize our behaviors and thoughts so that they fit our story – or what we believe about ourselves or our situation. In the process we create limiting beliefs about ourselves.
What we need to understand about any goal that we set for ourselves, is that we are never going to be motivated 100% of the time. We can’t let ourselves slide down that slippery slope when we don’t feel motivated and sabotage our own efforts. What we need to do is get back up, dust off and rely on discipline. And sometimes we will fail at discipline, too. But it doesn’t matter. You still keep going.
Jocko Willink reminds us how easy it is for anyone to fail at discipline. We all have moments of self-sabotage. But it is how we respond to those that defines us. What will you do?
