Exercise: “Self-Sabotaging Habits”

What you will get out of this

Our self-sabotaging habits get in the way of us achieving our wants and goals, but some are more subtly self-sabotaging than others.

This exercise helps us clearly identify both our obvious and subtle self-sabotaging habits, and how they impact us.

An example of this exercise at work

Step 1: Spotlight on Obvious Missteps

Identify at least four recurring habits that are unquestionably harmful for you, such as binge drinking, vaping, incessantly cancelling plans, or procrastinating. If you find yourself rationalizing your habits, use this simple criterion: would it be a positive outcome if your loved ones adopted this habit too?

Step 2: Unveiling the Subtle Traps

Uncover at least four of your subtle self-sabotaging habits. These are behaviors that may seem beneficial to others but hinder your progress, or habits that are impactful but often dismissed as trivial by others. Examples might include sacrificing your time excessively for others, not prioritizing religious commitments, avoiding exercise due to laziness, or spending an abundance of time with friends who belittle your interests.

Step 3: Confronting the Consequences

Reflect on the recent instances where these self-sabotaging habits have obstructed your path. For each habit, explain in a couple of sentences how it hampers your progress. What opportunities does it rob you of? How frequently does this occur?

Obvious self-sabotaging habits

Subtle self-sabotaging habits