Are you a victim? Do you have the best of intentions, but the second you get close to meeting a goal, you sabotage it because it's easier to give up rather than fail? It's called "self sabotage" and it's one of the main reasons most of us fail to meet our fitness and weight loss goals. Sounds familiar? Keep reading!
Although those pesky "toxic" friends and family may be making it hard for you to stick with your diet and your normal fitness routine, it's ultimately you who needs to take responsibility. Learn to recognize your own "self sabotaging" behaviors. Fight the fight against yourself! after all, you are the only tangible being that can make YOUR dreams come true!
Common Self Sabotage Behaviors
1. Blaming others for your shortcomings. You didn't have time to prep food on Sunday night? Chances are, it wasn't your best friend that kept you out of the kitchen for an hour when they stopped by to chat - it was that hour or two of recorded TV shows on your DVR!
2. Self doubt. Have one of those pesky voices in your head that tries to tell you that you can't do something every time you start to daydream that you can? Squash it! You don't have to listen to it - after all, you control your thoughts!
3. Setting unrealistic expectations and/or goals. Do you have a tendency to overextend yourself? Work best under pressure? With things like health and fitness goals that take time to perfect and reach, you set yourself up for failure before you even start if your expectations are unrealistic. Do yourself a favor and set realistic goals with realistic time frames.
4. Giving up before you get started (or before anyone notices). I can tell you right now - I do this! It's hard to live like this - just DON'T! Search your heart and learn what is important to you and don't give up. If you do fail and someone notices, it's just a learning experience. Everyone fails - you have to give yourself the right to fail.
Ways to Combat Self Sabotaging Behaviors
1. Tell your goals to a friend you trust. Your friend may not share your desires and you may not be working toward a common goal; however, you can still be of use to them and they to you. Tell them how you need help and offer to reciprocate by holding them accountable for reaching a goal in their life. REMEMBER - Don't judge their goal!
2. Write it down. Do you like to journal? Are you a list keeper? Keep a list every day of the tasks you need to accomplish. You can even prioritize them! I keep mine on my phone and just delete them as I mark them off. Not only is it therapeutic, but when you start the day with 20 tasks and you have 2 to complete by the time you start getting tired, you really learn that you can do much more than you ever expected. Confidence boost right there!
3. Give yourself positive affirmations. When is the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror? Do you know WHO you are? Are you the kind of person that rushes out the door in the morning? It may sound corny, but give yourself just one minute each morning to say something positive to yourself and you will be amazed on your outlook for the entire day.
4. Don't be afraid to fail. This may be easier said than done, but it can be accomplished! Do your best each day - that means accomplishing as much as you can on the "to do" list, starting with the most high-priority and easiest. Tell yourself that you are working toward something and that if you don't succeed the first time, it's not the end of the world. There is always tomorrow. Think about what went wrong and fix it!