December 6, 2024

Ask A Pro by Niels Johnson-Lameijer

Question: I can’t stay focused. Seems I take one step forward and two steps back. How do I know if I am I sabotaging my fitness goals? –Cassie, PA.

Answer: 4 Steps to Stop Self-Sabotage

Be aware. Awareness provides the opportunity to think about actions, and it breaks the automatic cycle of the self-sabotaging behaviors. So the first step is to recognize behavior as self-sabotage.

Be honest. Once you have the awareness about your-self sabotaging behavior dig a little deeper. Ask yourself: What is this behavior sabotaging? Is it my effectiveness at work? A healthy lifestyle? Write down the results of your sabotaging behavior and be as specific as you can, don’t hold back, be brutally honest! So if you end up watching TV till late at night, which makes you get up too late for your daily exercise, which is a vital part of your goal to release 10 pounds. You could say that TV is unhealthy or … more brutally honest … watching TV makes me fat!

Take Action. Now that you know how your self-sabotaging behavior is keeping you from realizing the (healthy) life you want to live, it’s time to take action toward changing your life! Write down your brutally honest realizations on several post-it notes and post them in the places you will likely be when your destructive self-sabotaging behavior takes place (on your TV!) There is no better way than reminding yourself over and over again of the negative results your self-sabotaging behavior creates, to make sure you do not fall back into your old patterns.

Replace the old behavior with new empowering behavior. When you have completed this step it’s time to replace your self-sabotaging behavior with empowering habits. Do you have a clear picture of what you want to create? What behavior will support that? Make it tangible, write it down, and make sure you put it in your calendar. Then create reminders for yourself through-out your house (car, office etc) about the positive new habits you want to create.

Niels Johnson-Lameijer is an internationally certified Executive Coach and Life Mastery Coach. He guides companies and passionate individuals toward raising productivity and realizing the life of their dreams. For more information visit www.nielsjl.com or email Niels at niels@nielsjl.com or call 805.617.3513.

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