5 Popular Self Sabotage Behaviors That Will Hold You Back

To listen to the blog post “Top Self Sabotage Behaviors That Keep You From Securing Your Bag” over reading it just click the play button below. 

Hard work will pay off BUT only if you do it right. And sadly most people self sabotage.  Have you ever heard of Isaac Newton’s third law which says “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?”  We equate this law to the law of physics but it can also be applied to the laws of life. Meaning that whatever you put into your life is what you get out. So if you are putting in hard work, then you will reap the benefit of hard work.

But if for some reason you are not reaping the benefits of hard work then you have to evaluate what you are doing.  Like the famous Bible verse says “You reap what you sow” (Galatians 6:7). So if you are doing everything you are supposed to do then you should reap that, if not then that is what you will reap. This is why we are going to talk about why your hard work is NOT paying off.  Because under the laws of life, it should be if you are really working hard.

I am not sure why you came to this post but I am going to take a lucky guess. You may be working hard, losing patience wondering if you will ever get where you want to be. You may be coming in day in and out working hard doing your best wondering when it is going to be your turn for a huge reward.  When is all of the hard work you are doing going to pay off?  If this is you then I want to start with saying this, waiting for hard work to pay off can be exhausting and you can lose patience.

But if you keep working at something and you are doing well, then you will get the same output. And why you may ask because we have already talked about this. It is the same concept as above. You reap what you sow AND for every action (AKA hard work) there is an equal and opposite reaction (AKA a reward for your hard work).  But the key is that some people self-sabotage and they sit and wonder why they are not getting what they want out of life.

1. Self Sabotage ~ Case in point: The Story Of Me

I remember when I first started blogging in 2012.  Mind you it was not this wonderful well put together a blog that you see before you today.  But rather a sloppy blog that looked hot behind a mess.  Yes, I worked on it, sure you can say that I worked hard on it BUT was it my best work.

NO, it was not. My blog looked a mess, I did not do what it took to be a successful blogger. I did not study, I did not research, I did not put the same effort into my blog that I would today, and because of that, the hard work that I put in did not pay off.  The reason why it did not pay off is that low-key I had some self sabotage behaviors.

• I was somewhat entitled and thought people would come and read my blog just because I was me not because it was my best work. 
• I did not put forth the right amount of effort to ensure my blog was successful. 
• I was not consistent. 
• My blog did not look like a reflection of hard work. 

Self Sabotage ~ What’s my point

My point in telling you this story is that sometimes we think that we are working hard but we are not seeing investment. And then we wonder why.  When really it is self sabotage. If I have already told you that hard work pays off and you KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that this is true if your hard work is NOT paying off then you need to have a self-reflective moment and evaluate the actual level of work you are putting in.  And if you are putting forth subpar work intentionally as a way to self sabotage then that is why your hard work is not paying off.

2. Self Sabotage Behaviors Masked In Lazy

I once met someone who wanted to be a singer. AND BOY was she a good singer.  She had the talent but she was wondering why she had not gotten that record deal. Why she was not on TV and why all of her hard work was not paying off.  It is because like I said, what was hard work to her really was not hard work.

What my friend lack was work ethic.  There are thousands if not millions of people who are out here wanting to sing.  And my friend did not understand that she was going to have to work hard and out beat all of those people who were fighting for her dream. Instead, she was under the impression that someone was going to hear her sing karaoke, knock on her door, and give her a record deal.

Well, it does not work like that. Most people who REALLY achieve success are not lazy.  It took hours and hours of hard work, without ceasing, and being told no before they finally got somewhere.  So in short, going off Isaac Newton’s law, if you put in poor or half-hearted work performance, then you will the same exact results that you put in.  Check out my video below about what happens when you don’t use your talents.  And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking here.

Self Sabotage ~ How this applies to you.

If your hard work is not paying off then I need you to ask yourself are you really dedicated.  Or are you lazy? Do you think just because you are gifted or talented at something that the success that you want to achieve will be handed to you? If that is you then think again. You need to get up and put in more work into what you want to achieve. Never make the mistake of thinking that just because you are talented at something or that you are called to do something that it will be handed to you. It still requires a good and proper amount of work ethic.

3. Self Sabotage Masked In Mild Success

Have you ever seen a one-hit-wonder? A song that plays into our head over and over again but then once the craze is over we never hear from them again?  That is because they put in all the hard work, and once they see the harvest of their hard work, they get paid, and they stop working as hard.

As a result, we see people coming out with one hit, making money, spending it, and then ending up right back where they started which is nowhere. The problem with this is that when you work hard you have to be consistent.  Hard work is not this thing that once you are on top you can just stop working and think that you will be able to sustain your success.  It does not work like that.  There will always be another mountain, more goals, and more learning to do. And if you fail to do that then you will fail to succeed. Also, check out my blog on how to reach your goals.

Self Sabotage ~ Case in point Myspace Versus Facebook

For those who remember Myspace, it was all the craze until it wasn’t. Now for those who remember Facebook and have been with Facebook for a while, you can remember that ALL the changes that Facebook went through. From more pictures to stories to better apps.  One thing that Facebook is the master of is that it is able to keep working hard and so it keeps getting more and more rewards. When Instagram became a thing, Facebook bought Instagram.  There is a point to all this I promise.

Self Sabotage ~What’s my point

Mark Zuckerberg (the creator of Facebook) is one smart man.  Even when Facebook was at the height of its success he NEVER stopped working, he never stopped researching and predicting changes and continued to evolve Facebook so that it is still successful with the years. Not so much with Myspace. It’s like Myspace was successful and that was it.  It did not change, evolve, or keep up with the times. And so Myspace is like that one-hit-wonder.  The point is that even when your hard work does pay off, never think that your work is over.  Keep working because that is what is needed for you to see the full payoff of your hard work.

4. Self Sabotage Ask Yourself These Questions:

Self Sabotage ~ Are you doing the work to the best of your ability?

If by chance you are half completing things, do not want to take the time to perfect your craft, or even if you are working hard and your work is sloppy; then that is what reaction you are going to get. So instead perfect your craft, do your best at everything and sooner or later you will get an equal and opposite reaction. Do not think just because you are spending time and working on something that this means you are working hard.  Working hard is just a part of you, you must be working hard and putting forth your BEST quality work possible.

5. Self Sabotage ~ Reflect on your attitude.

No one will want to work with you or give you a chance if you are a hot mess and do not know how to act. For every reaction, you will get an equal and opposite reaction.  If you are standoffish toward people, then people will be standoffish to you. If you are difficult to work with then people will not want to work with you. You can be super smart and a super hard worker but if people do not like you or want to be around you, then people are not going to want to work with you or give you a chance.

If none of these applies to you and you are doing your best, then I offer you this encouragement:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

If you are working hard and doing what you are supposed to do, as hard as you are supposed to do it, the way you are supposed to do it, and how you are supposed to do it. Sometimes some things just take longer than expected. But you cannot give up just because you get tired. You will get the proper reward so I want you to take comfort in that. It has to happen.

If you know someone who could stand to read this post, then feel free to share it with them.

And if you keep finding yourself in a state of failing and you are unable to find your success, then consider hiring as your life coach.  Just click here.