Tuesday, August 6, 2024 Your Own Worst Enemy How to spot—and stop—self-sabotage at work Guide Magazine Self-Sabotage – Actions or thought patterns (both conscious or subconscious) that interfere with your long term goals and overall well-being (calm.com). We all have goals and dreams, but we often find ourselves frustrated as we work toward them. Sometimes, we are stymied by external circumstances, like an economic downturn or a life-altering accident. But many times, we self-sabotage, either by setting goals that are too small, too big, or too vague or by allowing fear to get in our way of going for what we want. 3 Ways to Work Toward Achieving Your Goals Don’t only set performance goals and forget about setting learning goals. For example, you’ve decided you want to become a supervisor. How do you go about getting there? Simply working hard likely isn’t enough. You need to identify which skills you need to learn to achieve that goal. You may need to take formal training, or you may just need to talk to another supervisor and learn from them. Don’t get caught in the weeds. Sometimes we are so focused on a goal that we forget the greater goal—the reason why we are seeking to achieve something. If you are seeking to become a supervisor, why are you doing it? Is it because you want to effect change at work? Is it the pay bump so your family can have more financial freedom? Broaden your interests and don’t just focus on your career goals. Nobel-prize winning scientists are over 20 times more likely to have a hobby in the performing arts than other scientists. You never know where you will find inspiration or learn new skills that you can apply to work. Self-sabotage is behaviours and thought patterns that prevent you from reaching your goals. This includes avoidant behaviour, procrastination, negative self-talk, avoiding feedback, and perfectionism. It’s a self-protective (though unhelpful) mechanism. Your brain likes familiarity. It sees something new and unfamiliar—a new position at work or a new relationship—as potentially unsafe and to be avoided. 5 Ways to Fight Self-Sabotage to Reach Your Goals Get to know yourself and your triggers. Certain changes are scarier to some people than others. For some, getting a new job is exciting, while for others it’s terrifying. The same goes for relationships. Know what areas of your life trigger your self-sabotage patterns. Examine your thought patterns in a nonjudgmental way. Doing so will help you understand why you are thinking or doing something and if it makes sense or is rooted in fear. Practice positive self-talk. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, focus on your strengths. Try the best friend tip: think of how your best friend would talk to you and encourage you, and try to internalize that. Don’t be so hard on yourself. When you catch yourself in a self-sabotaging pattern, acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on. Be okay with failure. Fear of failure causes us to avoid trying something new. But think about failure as a learning opportunity. And remember, if you don’t try, you definitely won’t achieve your goal. Sources: calm.com, hbr.com, psychologytoday.com You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026