4 Ways You’re Self-Sabotaging Your Success

By: Niques

In order to get anywhere in life, you must move from point A to point B. If you stop moving you cease to grow and if you stop growing you cease to become better than you were yesterday. You essentially become stuck in sin cycles of sinful habits, failures, and self-sabotage.

Perhaps the worst thing you can ever do is become your own worst enemy.

For some, self-sabotage has become so embedded in their character that they don’t even know what they’re doing. We can be the creators of our own chaos.

By lack of self-assessment, we can find ourselves being stuck in the same situation for years, trapped in a cage that we created.

God has called each one of us to a life of abundance, joy, and peace. That doesn’t mean that everything will always go well but it does mean that God will be with us, guiding us and moving us to where He wants us to be.

When we self-sabotage, we actively block God’s blessings from entering into our lives and make a hole for the enemy to sneak in and take control.

What is Self-Sabotage Anyway?

Simply put, self-sabotage in any thought/action that you do that gets in the way of achieving your goals. It is an internal conflict that you alone have created.

No one else is standing in your way but you are actively building blocks and digging potholes to stop yourself from processing.

You may be self-sabotaging because you lack self-worth, self-belief or self-esteem. You may be fearful of moving forward or you think where you are is already good enough.

According to Psychology Today self-sabotaging behaviors include:

Procrastination
Self-medication with drugs or alcohol
Comfort eating
Forms of self-injury such as cutting.

It is important to note that within all of us is the ability to live contented, successful lives in Christ. Regardless if we accept God’s call to be obedient to His will or not, within you is the potential for greatest.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;” 1 Peter 5:9

When you self-sabotage you are preventing yourself from achieving your full potential.

4 Ways You May be Self-Sabotaging Without Even Knowing It

1. Procrastination

Yes…we all procrastinate. It’s not uncommon, however when you procrastinate to the point where you don’t even make an effort to get things done, that’s where self-sabotage steps in. You constantly miss deadlines, you forget to pay your bills, and you don’t honor your word to others.

By constantly procrastinating you are preventing yourself from moving forward. When opportunities to step out in faith arise you don’t take it and when God says to move, you standstill.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” Proverbs 6:6

2. You think you don’t deserve good things

One of the greatest tricks of the enemy is to make us trust in our own logic rather than trusting in God. You might have grown up in a house where the best was never granted to you.

But God wants you to have the best things, that’s why He’s preparing a paradise for you (John 17:2-3). Only by overcoming your limiting beliefs you can truly begin to trust God to provide the things you need to live a glorified life.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

3. You don’t try for fear of failing

If you fail to try you fail to succeed. Fear is the opposite of faith. If we live in Christ while living in fear, fear will stifle our faith. While fear says ‘I can’t do this’, faith says ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:9).

When you commit self-sabotage by not trying because you’re afraid of failing, you remain stuck in the same place. Your faith never grows, your family life never gets better, you stay at that same job that you hate.

But God is calling you to so much more. He is calling you to live a life of purpose and to be partners with Him in the spreading of the gospel.

When you remove your thoughts of failure and replace them with plans of success, even something others may see as a failure will just be your stepping stone to greater accomplishment.

Your relationships, your career, your life can be better if you allow God to guide you and walk in the path He chosen…even if you’re afraid.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

4. You refuse to change your perspective or do things differently

One self-sabotaging habit that can keep you stuck in the same place, is by refusing to change your perspective or do things differently.

God wants to take you from point A to point B but you don’t want to change what you’re currently doing. It seems comfortable and safe. It’s easier to blame others for your lack of success than to take responsibility, learn and move forward.

Perhaps it’s time for some self-assessment.

Is my faith in the same place it was when I just started my Christian walk?

Is my marriage failing because I refuse to humble myself?

Do I continue to fail because I haven’t changed my method of doing things?

Only fools and dead men don’t change their minds. Fools won’t and dead men can’t. John H. Patterson.

God is calling us to higher ground; a deeper relationship with Him and purpose-driven life. Living an active Christian life means that we are becoming more like Christ every day. It is a process.

Yes, we are human, yes we make mistakes. But at some point, we must move pass the past, trust God to make a way and walk into a brighter tomorrow.