9 Ways to Stop Sabotaging Yourself to Improve Your Personal Life
Are you your biggest enemy? We commonly let our fears and self-doubts get in the way of success and living our best lives. It doesn’t have to be this way, though – you can live the life you always wanted by actively supporting yourself, instead of sabotaging yourself. It may be a difficult decision, and it will likely scare you, but how else will your life change? Absolute Pilates has the answers.
Stop being so negative all the time
Negativity is like poison – it seeps into your thoughts, actions, and relationships. If you focus too much on what could go wrong instead of what could go right, you tend to end up creating obstacles and challenges for yourself where there are none. While negativity has its place – life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows – there’s no reason to wallow in it. Balance it out with positivity and optimism.
Stop letting working from home with kids stress you out
If you think it’s impossible to avoid all the stress associated with working from home with kids undertow, think again. Begin implementing a strategy to make it work. Take steps like assigning chores to keep the kids busy and avoid overextending yourself by setting goals that may not be achievable. Also, make deadlines as flexible as possible, because you can’t predict when a child gets sick and you need to spend extra time caring for them. Of course, setting firm boundaries, like not interrupting you during a Zoom call, should be established.
Stop caring so much about what people think of you
We often let other people’s opinions dictate the way we act, think, and feel. Trying to please everyone doesn’t do anyone any favors – you end up miserable, and you aren’t being honest with them or you. You will never make everyone happy, no matter how hard you try. Instead, be true to yourself and live life as you want it.
Stop putting your interests aside
Don’t neglect pursuing what interests you. For example, if you’re a sports fan, you should take in one of your favorite team’s games. Taking a road trip with a buddy to see the Phillies may be a great idea, or if you’re a Pirates fan you can travel a little further and make it an overnight getaway. Go ahead, treat yourself to a game.
Stop eating poorly
Just like negative thoughts color your feelings and actions, potentially spoiling the outcome, bad eating habits harm your body. Unhealthy, non-nutritious foods will take away your energy, put you in a bad mood, and make it hard for you to function, says Eat This, Not That. Good food has the opposite effect – it makes you happier, more energetic, and youthful.
Stop staying in a job that you hate
You spend a significant portion of your life working – you must do it in a supportive, positive environment, pursuing a career that’s satisfying to you. If your job is burning you out or you hate it, it’s time for a career change. An online degree could improve your job prospects. Master’s degrees, for example, allow you to work in in-demand fields like education, healthcare, and technology. Pursuing an online program is convenient, as you can work and look after your family while you get your MBA. When searching for an online school, pick an accredited one with competitive tuition rates.
Stop choosing short-term gratification over long-term fulfillment
Often, we let our immediate desires guide our actions, indulging in a passing fancy instead of working for long-term gain. Discipline is all about learning how to rein back your immediate desire for a more meaningful reward down the road. Delayed gratification is not easy, according to Positive Psychology, but it’s necessary if you want to get somewhere with your life. Essentially, play fewer video games or party less and invest the time saved into achieving your long-term goals.
Stop being ungrateful
There are many things you don’t have, doubtless, but there are many things you do. It’s important to count your blessings once in a while and practice gratitude, instead of focusing on what you don’t have. The perceived lack is going to make you perpetually unhappy, ungrateful, and dissatisfied. Even billionaires want another billion – draw the line somewhere, and learn how to be grateful for what you do have.
Stop the self-doubt
Finally, stop doubting yourself so much. There was a time you didn’t know how to walk, but you figured it out – just like you will figure out how to overcome challenges or get to where you want. Self-confidence is very powerful and builds on itself. Set small goals for yourself and achieve them, to begin with. You can and should fake it till you make it. Don’t stop yourself from trying.
Changing your life won’t happen overnight. It involves changing your mindset and overcoming limiting self-beliefs, which is a difficult, time-consuming process. Keep at it, though. There is light at the end of the tunnel and your reward is the life you always dreamed of.