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Are You Sabotaging Yourself at Work? Here is How to Stop

More often, self-destructive habits are deeply rooted in our feelings of self-worth. Howevre, once you have identified the root causes of self-sabotage you can then begin to change your pattern of behaviour.

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More often, self-destructive habits are deeply rooted in our feelings of self-worth. Howevre, once you have identified the root causes of self-sabotage you can then begin to change your pattern of behaviour.

Photo credit: Cookie_Studio

In the words of Marianne Williamson, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us, yet, despite our capabilities to achieve greatness, we end up doing things and make choices and develop traits which render us incapable of excelling in our career. This article seeks to explore some of the ways in which one may unknowingly self-sabotage and also offer remedies.

Self-sabotage involves behaviours and thoughts that hold you back from what your goals and potential. These are self-limiting factors that roams at the corners of your subconscious telling you that you cannot do this or that. Self-sabotaging habits entail unhealthy thought patterns and /or destructive work habits. To examine whether you are self-sabotaging yourself, the following are some of the traits you should be on the lookout for.

You perform the average tasks.

The thing about being an average employee who only performs the bare minimum, is that that is the kind of employee you will ever be. An average employee. Which is derailing because when the promotion time comes, the mangers are likely to promote employees who go beyond the average.

You are a chronic complainer.

There are some of the things you will not like about your job, but sometimes voicing your concerns in the office may land you into a hot soup than do you good. For one, you will be distracting your co-workers, and secondly, your boss may be convinced that you are likely to quit and that you are not the right fit for the job.

You struggle to make decisions.

Career promotions relies on making decisions wisely without hesitation. When you constantly struggle to make career decisions, only shows that you lack self-confidence. Your hesitation is likely to impact negatively on how you perceive new career opportunities. It also affects your capability to demand for raises and promotions.

If your habits falls under the above mentioned traits, below are 2 ways to overcome the self-sabotaging traits.

1. Be a team player.

Everyone in the office experiences their own challenges at work, but the employee who finishes their work on time and makes other colleagues look better, is more valued than the kind who constantly complains. This is the best way to build credibility around the workplace, setting you up for higher positions.

2. Identify the root causes of self-sabotage.

Some of bad habits developed in the work environment may be due to an unhealthy way of responding to stress. More often, self-destructive habits are deeply rooted in our feelings of self-worth. Once you have identified the root causes of self-sabotage, you can then begin to change your pattern of behaviour. Also, it is advisable, to identify and clearly state the changes that you want to make.

Developing a positive inner voice is also considered therapeutic when it comes to convincing yourself of your capabilities. This would in turn reflect on the way you respond to emerging opportunities and also impact on your approach to work related duties.

Written by

Kelvin Mokaya


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