3 Tips to Stop Sabotaging Your Personal Brand...

As we approach the end of another year, you may find yourself looking back at the goals you established at the beginning of the year and either comparing your progress or giving yourself a high five for a job well done. If this is currently your experience,  kudos to you!

However, if there is a gap between where you are and where you want to be,

and,

 all attempts to close that gap is met with a consistent internal discomfort or resistance,

 then self-sabotage is the most likely culprit. 

 Self-Sabotage is simply the way you stand in your own way.  It is the personal lie or the false tale that you tell yourself about yourself – who you are, what you are capable or not capable of, what you deserve or don’t deserve.  It is the inaccurate belief or perspective that disaffirms your intrinsic sense of worth, resulting in feelings of shame, anger, and unworthiness, that is then manifested externally in the form of unhealthy behaviors that keep you from closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be, which ultimately damages your personal brand.

 The goal of self – sabotage is to:

 -       Keep you safely within the confines of your comfort zone!  Here is a brand tip – this is not where you belong! There is no growth in your comfort zone. 

 -       Diminish the passion and energy you need to accomplish your goals, fulfill your dreams and to respond to the world in P.O.W.E.R. (Perspective (authentic), Optimism, Wisdom, Empathy and Respect) as you were originally designed (don’t believe me, read II Timothy 1:7) 

 We are not always aware that we are self-sabotaging our personal brand.

 Self-sabotaging behaviors can be active (such as participating in unhealthy eating habits or substance abuse) or inactive (such as procrastination, not asking for help, putting your needs on hold).

 It can be subconscious or conscious such as 1) overanalyzing to the point where your dream is paralyzed, 2) perfectionism – waiting for everything to be perfect before you launch that idea or that business venture, or 3)obsession with clarity or the desire to see the entire staircase before you take the first step.

 At the root of your self-sabotaging behavior are limiting beliefs about who you are (read my previous blog (The #1 Blocker To Creating An Impactful Personal Brand).  This usually sounds like “I am not enough”.  “I am not worthy.”

 So how can you stop self-sabotaging You and your personal brand?

 1.     By re-defining your beliefs about who you are. Redefining your beliefs about who you are is foundational to creating the life you desire, ultimately closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Saddle up!  This is not an easy feat.  Here are a few tips to start:

 a.     Awareness – Recognize the areas of your life that you are self-sabotaging. Recognize the self-sabotage thoughts that are fueling the self-sabotaging behaviors.  What is your internal belief system that is informing those thoughts?

 b.     Triggers – pay attention to what triggers your self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors and journal these thoughts and triggers so you can assess over time.

 c.     Challenge – challenge your internal belief system that is informing your self-sabotaging thoughts and habits – is it factual? What is the source?

 2.     Visualize a different outcome by visualizing where you want to be – Once you redefine your beliefs, turn those beliefs into action by first visualizing where you want to be - what is the vision you are moving towards? What are your goals? What are the miniature goals you will need to establish in order to achieve the overarching goal?

 3.     Who do you need to be to accomplish your vision?  Not in an imposter sense.  Instead, it means how do you step outside of your comfort zone and accomplish your goals – do you need to be more disciplined?  Do you need to exercise more agility? Do you need to be an early riser?  You decide.  Be that person daily.

 Don’t be too hard on yourself.. be patient with yourself knowing that Redefining your beliefs and overcoming self-sabotage is a journey.  My prayer for you is that you become aware of your inner-saboteur, and that these tips help you begin the process of redefining your beliefs about who you are and what you are capable of, and ignite the courage in you to step outside of your comfort/safe zone.  

GEORGIA WOLFE-SAMUELSOCTOBER 24, 2021