How To Find Out If You Are Sabotaging Your Own Success
The other day I was in a military veteran entrepreneur group meeting and there was a gentleman there that wanted an opinion on what he should do with his business. This gentleman has shared numerous ideas, collaborated with other entrepreneurs, generated interest in doing side projects, and yet struggles with generating a consistent income with his product-based business. I had to interject and share some loving advice. I had plainly said, “I mean this with love and support and you can take my advice or not but I feel you are subconsciously sabotaging yourself by being involved in too many things.” MIC DROP!! The group agreed, supported my suggestion, and he took note of my observation. Maybe you can relate? Have you ever had your hands in too many pots and wasn’t sure which pot needs your attention? Or you end up spreading yourself too thin by taking on too much? Or perhaps you suffer from “Shiny Object Syndrome”? Or maybe you’re a ‘high idea’ generator and start things but really never complete them fully?
As an entrepreneur, we are creative people. We love trying new things, experimenting with possible paths to generate a revenue, and love the idea of test, test, and test. “Let’s see what happens this time around”, you keep telling yourself. Sure, the route to entrepreneurship can be filled with trial and error, the ups and downs, and the quick ‘fail forward’ we experience at one time or another. What if what you’re doing, by being involved in too many projects, collaborations, or strategies is a subconscious behavior that may be sabotaging your way to success? How do you REALLY know if you’re sabotaging your own path to success? Here are 3 ways to help guide you:
Procrastination
We are familiar with procrastination. We use this on occasion to delay what needs to get done because we “don’t feel like it” or “this other project is more appealing than what I have to do”, or even doing other tasks that demand our immediate time and attention. Procrastination can disguise itself in such tricky and manipulative ways that we may not be aware of this deception. Our minds can create such beliefs and we believe them to be true. We tell ourselves ‘fake truths’. We play bargaining statements in our minds to compromise and to not feel guilty. It’s our brains sneaky way of letting us off the hook from responsibility. There are numerous methods and strategies on the marketplace to help guide you past the procrastination behavior. I would recommend a keystone book such as “Eat That Frog” by Brian Tracy. Outside of the resources conveniently given to you by Google, the crucial step is to realize that you may be convincing yourself to fall into procrastination. This requires a degree of self-awareness. You can start to develop this awareness by asking yourself “What am I avoiding by telling myself this belief?” More often than not, the answer comes up immediately and you truly know what you need to accomplish rather than spending the mental energy it requires to create a false belief.
Shiny Object Syndrome
Ah…yes…the blinding yet tempting offer we fall victim to because we feel that this is “the holy grail” of the latest strategy to give you the push or boost you need in your business. Again, our mind can be sneaky in creating dozens of reasons why this latest strategy or technique will be valuable in your business. You may have even gone as far as to create a Pro/Con list on this latest Shiny Object. As people, we use logic to justify our position for a purchase and the brain is fantastic at creating logical arguments. But is it really going to boost your business or give you the push you need? A tip to decide whether or not this Shiny Object is important in building your business is asking yourself, “Is this investment aligned with my immediate business goals of generating a revenue?”. You might be faced with dozens of options, opportunities, and strategies, that on first glance, may be important to consider. When you look closely and learn the Shiny Object for what it is, it’s a sabotage technique if it isn’t directly aligned with your goals. It does require self-discipline to cut away from unnecessary investments and opportunities that may not be aligned for what you need at this phase of your business.
Involved in too many projects
Referring back to my story about the gentleman military veteran entrepreneur, he was constantly being involved in too many projects. He was getting frustrated and came to the mastermind seeking help. Unbeknownst to him, he was subconsciously sabotaging his own success by being involved in too many projects. When we lose focus on what is the main priority, (for example, generating a revenue), we look elsewhere to keep ourselves busy and justify it by stating “I am overwhelmed”, “I don’t have time”, “I have too much going on”, etc. We are fooling ourselves by feeling like we are making progress when in fact, minimal progress is happening. It’s like when you’re swimming in an ocean and your arms are flailing about, causing big splashes and waves. You may be swimming but you’re just making minimal progress to the shore. On the other hand, if you use your arms and legs efficiently and learned proper swimming techniques, you will swim to the shore much quicker and smoother. The same principle applies to business. You may be ‘flailing’ about by being involved in many projects, causing stress and chaos, but if you focused on one or two projects that create quicker momentum, you’d achieve success much faster.
These three tips can provide reflection into whether you are unknowingly sabotaging your business success. The most successful people can power through procrastination, eliminate Shiny Object Syndrome and are consciously aware of what projects that give them the most return on investment. If you are not aware of what you’re doing, it’s challenging to fix the issue. Ask yourself, “Am I displaying this behavior?”, “Am I a victim to any of these three categories?” Developing your self-awareness over these three areas can help guide you so that you can catch yourself before you fall into this automatic routine of subconscious self-sabotage. When you become aware, you can shift your mindset and realize the behaviors that are not congruent with what is important for you and your business.
Judy Skilling is a High Performance Coach and U.S. Navy Veteran. She loves to help military and veteran entrepreneurs achieve next level results in mindset, productivity, and wellness. Take advantage of her free E-book “5 Hidden Military Skills to be a Successful Entrepreneur” by clicking here: https://www.judyskilling.com/e-book-5-military-skills