IF SWIMMING SUCCESS IS YOUR GOAL,
WHY SELF-SABOTAGE?
I’ve never met a swimmer who didn’t want to excel. Yet, they get in their way through procrastination, self-doubt, laziness, desiring comfort above all, indecision, self-pity, poor organization, and more. So allow me to share some examples to see if any of them ring a bell?
1) You expect to succeed without a clear focus on what is required.
2) You see your capacity to succeed as being dependent on others.
3) You’re a perfectionist and dismissive of incremental improvements (you want it all, and you want it now).
4) You’re “too busy chasing cows to build a fence.” Meaning you’re too busy to come up with a realistic plan.
5) You hold back from doing the things you need to do.
6) You avoid setting up routines that would help you succeed.
7) You create self-imposed rules that encourage procrastination. For example, I only have ten minutes to stretch today, so there’s no sense.
8) You overcomplicate things.
9) You stay stuck in behavior patterns that don’t deliver.
10) You complain about other people’s behavior (coach, parent, or teammates) rather than blaming yourself.
11) You operate based on how you think a situation should be rather than dealing with reality.
12) You don’t acknowledge valid points from others who want to help.
13) You self-generate stress. For example, you start more projects than you have time to finish.
14) You “work busy” rather than “work smart.”
15) You’re self-critical when self-acceptance and compassion may work better.
How To Overcome Self-Sabotage
Consider addressing any habit that rates high on the list.
Now that you have a better understanding of what’s holding you back develop plans to fight back.
Come up with alternatives, meaning if “X” happens, what’s “Y”?
To start, aim to improve your self-sabotaging behaviors by 10 to 20 percent rather than 100 percent.