How to Avoid Self-Sabotage in Business

Self-sabotage in business is not uncommon especially for young entrepreneurs just starting out.  Just as self-sabotaging thoughts, beliefs and habits can get the best of us in our personal lives so too can they in business.  Behavior patterns that are classified as self-sabotaging are those that create problems and interfere with long-standing goals which obviously are something one must avoid in business.  Self-sabotage prevents people from attaining what they most want out of life and in turn, out of business.  One expert describes self-sabotage as something that: “Not only prevents you from reaching your goal, but also becomes a safety mechanism that protects you against disappointment.  In other words, your brain is protecting you from getting hurt by doing what it thinks is best, which is keeping you within your comfort zone.”  And in fact, in order to avoid self-sabotage you must move out of your comfort zone and try new and unique techniques and tactics.

First off, stop procrastinating.  If you have a great idea, act on it!  Why wait?  You aren’t doing yourself or your business any good by sitting on the idea and not making it a reality.  Do whatever you need to do to make things happen for yourself.  If you start something, finish it.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  If we always waited for things to be exactly perfect, we would never get anything accomplished.  Odds are that once you’ve finished something and gotten it off your plate, you will find that you are happier with the end result than you may have been had you spent and wasted countless hours putting it off because you were afraid it wouldn’t live up to your standards of success.

Make a “To-Do” list.  Most entrepreneurs can’t focus on tasks at hand because they are always reacting to requests that break up their day and cause them to lose their concentration.  A quick solution is to plan your day ahead of time.  Make a to-do list at the end of each day for the next day and try with all you can to stick to it.  If something comes up that appears “urgent” and requires your immediate attention, compare it to your list and see if it really is the most pressing thing you need to focus on that day.  It might not be.  If it is more important, than you have no choice but to do it but if it isn’t, defer it to a later time.

Don’t waste time being a micromanager.  Have faith and belief in your team members and trust their capabilities and in the fact that they are doing their jobs well.  You never need to manage every aspect of the work your employees are doing.  You obviously hired them for a reason: their competencies, so trust in them.  You’ll find that you are a lot more productive when you aren’t wasting your time micromanaging your team.  It’s actually a form of self-sabotage to be a micromanager because you lose focus on more pressing matters that need your full focus and attention.

Recognize your weaknesses.  If you don’t look at the flaws in your business model, then you are indeed headed down the road to self-sabotage.  Look at your weaknesses as a chance to turn them into positives that will only benefit your personal growth and the growth of your company in the long-run.  Weaknesses aren’t a sign of failure and if you come to terms with them, then you can work towards correcting them which will ensure success down the road as you work to achieve your ultimate goals.

Find a support network.  It’s easy to become reclusive when you’re first starting out as a business owner.  You become so immersed in your new project that you often lose sight of the bigger picture.  By getting out and networking with fellow entrepreneurs, you can support one another and hold each other accountable.  This helps you foster relationships within your community.  When you establish relationships, then you can reach out for help when needed.  Issues are always going to arise and if you don’t have support around you, then you will be self-sabotaging your business in the long-run.

Don’t forget to delegate.  There’s no shame in asking for help.  When you’re starting up a new venture, it can often be very overwhelming for one person and there’s no shame in admitting that.  The reason that new businesses hire employees is to share the workload.  If you can’t afford a vast number of employees, hire an intern to help you do the more mundane tasks such as mailings and other less pressing errands.  The less time you spend focusing on the little things, the more productive you’ll be.

Be open to change.  Don’t be stubborn when approaching your business.  You need to be willing to admit that your first idea might not always be your best idea.  If you’re too rigid in your day-to-day thinking, you are indeed sabotaging yourself whether or not you mean to.  Remember, there is always room for improvement.

Lastly and often most importantly, find people that hold you accountable for your actions or in essence a “no” person.  You don’t need a bunch of people constantly stroking your ego.  You need to surround yourself with people that will be honest with you and point out flaws and mistakes and be able to offer ways to improve.  Additionally, don’t shirk the blame on someone else.  If you mess up, cop to it.  If you look at yourself as “superhuman” in business, it will only hurt you in the long-run.  Remember, no one is perfect and you don’t have to be.  Surrounding yourself with honest people makes you more honest with yourself and takes away the pitfalls of self-sabotage.  Seeking feedback is always a positive idea.

So what have you learned here today?  Have you found yourself on the road to self-sabotage in business before?  If so, how did you cut it off before it got out of hand?  Leave a comment and let’s start up a conversation.  Your feedback is always welcome!

Here are some articles you might want to check out about how to avoid self-sabotage in business:

“How to Avoid Self-Sabotage”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/201738

“4 Ways to Stop Sabotaging Your Success Today”: http://rebekahradice.com/stop-sabotaging-your-success/

“6 Effective Ways to Stop Sabotaging Your Own Success”: http://happyblackwoman.com/6-effective-ways-to-stop-sabotaging-your-own-success/

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