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Your Self-Sabotage specialty is… Procrastination!
Are you always racing the clock? Do you ride the edge of tension with deadlines and social engagements? Do you tell yourself you perform better under pressure? Chances are pretty good your self-sabotage specialty is procrastination.Don’t feel bad, every single human on the planet struggles with this at some point.When you feel overtired, stressed, and mentally drained, the last thing you want to do is finish your homework, pack for your trip, or clean the whole house – so you put it off until later.But eventually, later becomes now, and sometimes, it even becomes too late.But when you find that later is always finding you with too much left to do, all the time, then it’s time to look to the root of the problem and figure out why you always wait until the 11th hour to get things done.Because research has shown that people who describe themselves as chronic procrastinators, also reveal higher levels of stress, anxiety, and even depression.So if you find yourself always giving into the lazy meh feeling of putting off the things you know you’re going to eventually have to do anyways, the time is now – not later – to uncover why you keep leaving things your current self doesn’t want to do, and let them pile up so your later self still has to do them, only with less time.Because that leads to feelings of failure and inadequacy when you can’t complete the task well, and the results are unhappy and less than ideal.Leading to you not wanting to do the next task that comes along, because you didn’t do so hot on the last one. See that self-fulfilling cycle ready to repeat itself?Luckily, there are some ways to retrain yourself from procrastinator to proactivator.1. Recognize when you’re procrastinating – If you start an important task, only to stop immediately for a coffee break, or put off doing something until you feel motivated to do it, or even pack your schedule with other easier but less important tasks that you’d rather do… then you’re procrastinating.2. Dig deep to figure out WHY – Dreading something because it’s hard work or not fun isn’t the real reason why you keep putting off the things you need to do. If you’re avoiding a task because you aren’t organized, then it’s time to look at organization strategies.If you put things off because you’re afraid you won’t finish them perfectly, it’s time to look at the self-sabotaging beliefs behind perfectionism. Remember – Finished is always better than Perfect.If you’re afraid that completing a job successfully will only come with the reward of more hard work and the expectations that come with success, then you need to look at why that success scares you.3. Work on Anti-procastination – First, forgive yourself for your previous procrastination patterns and work towards the Get It Done mentality that will help you overcome them.Commit to your tasks, create accountability by sharing your schedule with others and encourage them to check in on your progress, and set up a reward system for when you’ve completed something in a timely fashion.Who doesn’t love a decadent treat when they’ve done a Grown-Up job?Of course, the easiest way to not put things off is to do them as soon as they hit your To-Do list. Turn off all distractions and knuckle down by telling yourself that you choose to do it now, instead of you have to do it eventually. Give yourself power over the task, and crush it – before the deadline.“A day can slip by when you’re deliberately avoiding what you’re supposed to do.” — Bill WattersonSelf-Sabotage Counter-Attack!If you want to stop the self-sabotage and finally get out of your own way, the key is to understand why you’re doing it — what need is it filling?Then apply a little creativity to identify healthier, happier, and more productive ways to meet those needs.Here’s a simple guide to help you begin the journey of rewriting your self-sabotaging programming:The cure is Self-Awareness1. Inventory – Reflect back and get curious about your own self-sabotage. What does your self-sabotage look like?How does it typically start?Are there any unhealthy patterns?By taking the time to reflect and notice any repeating patterns, you can more easily recognize when it’s time to take over and kick those traits to the curb. You can then take a moment to pause and get familiar with what’s happening in your mind and body – what’s triggering them, and how it feels physically.2. Challenge – Once you’ve spotted your self-sabotaging habits, it’s time to challenge what they’re actually doing for you.If you want to stop procrastinating, you first need to realize that it’s helping you deal with your own fear of success. If you want to stop over committing, you need to recognize that it fills your need to feel useful by ignoring your own needs.So ask yourself what your self-sabotaging habits ‘do’ for you – and then do the harder work of uncovering some underlying issues that you need to work through. Childhood trauma, feelings of inadequacy, even a pleasant life without challenges to build resilience can all lead to self-sabotaging behaviors.Download this free worksheet: How to Uncover the Root of Self Sabotage3. Create a new pattern – This is the fun part where you get to choose your next adventure!Once you’ve spotted your negative self-sabotaging habits and rooted out the cause of them, you can do the fun work of making a new pattern, one that serves your end goals and helps you grow with confidence and healing.Think about who you really want to be – and start aligning your actions to that potential. Use affirmations to help ease your negative self-talk, so the next time you find yourself turning to your old self-sabotaging ways, you can confidently choose your new, self-affirming solutions.Most importantly, be compassionate. Old habits die hard and you will most likely find yourself falling back into old patterns. Just stop, recognize that you’re trying, and remind yourself of why these patterns didn’t actually work for you before – then give yourself the opportunity to do better.This work takes time, and sometimes you need outside help to guide you down the path. Reach out to Book a Free Session if you'd like help overcoming old patterns and creating new ones. Hey there! I'm Jackie J. Reid, certified Master Coach & Inner Parts Coach. I specialize in helping you get to know the different parts of you that are keeping you stuck, understand the positive intention those parts have for you, and guide you to become the leader rather than saboteur of your life!Challenge Your Ways!Check out these helpful resources to help you ditch your self-sabotaging ways!1. Follow me on FB and Instagram @jackiejreid. From helpful tips and mindset hacks, to mindfulness reels and Q&A Lives, you'll find compassionate help as you discover your happiest, healthiest self.3. Want guidance on how to rewrite your patterns and build awareness? Book a Free Consult with me.. We’ll not only assess your own self-sabotaging habits, we’ll look at the beliefs that brought you to them – and find better ways together.“Self-destruction and self-sabotage are often just the start of the self-resurrection process.”― Oli Anderson
