Three Things That Are Sabotaging Your Business Success

When was the last time you felt frustrated in your business? For some, it could be as soon as five seconds ago. I’m not here to judge; I’ve been there myself!

It’s challenging (to say the least) to want to make progress when you feel like there’s an invisible bungee cord holding you back. You take giant steps forward until, somehow, you’re stuck and can barely gain an inch… then you’re snapped back, landing further away from your goal than you think you’ve ever been.

Perhaps, though, you are the root of this back and forth. Hear me out. I mean this very supportively because I only want the best for you and for you to succeed!

First, I want you to know that it isn’t your fault. There are mindsets at work that are causing delays and false starts. We can clear up these limiting beliefs, though, as long as you’re willing to hear where they could be lurking.

If you’re open to hearing (well, reading) it, here are three sneaky things that are happening deep down in your subconscious that are sabotaging your success and your business and how to break them wide open so you can free yourself and start gaining ground again.

Make Like a Camera and Focus

Isn’t it annoying to talk to a friend and only hear, “I don’t know” to all of your questions? Surely, they must have an opinion about where to eat or what movie looks good.

Now, think about the questions you ask yourself about your business – what to work on today, how to structure a new marketing plan, is it time to offer a new program? All of these are big ideas that require you to know where to focus your attention.

But if you’re answering “I don’t know” when you ponder these – and even smaller – questions, you could be sabotaging your business success.

If you’re not clear and you’re not trying to get clear, you’ll be stuck in “I don’t know” limbo forever.

Similarly, you could be focusing on things that don’t require that much time and attention. Which photo to use as your Facebook business page’s profile photo? Where to place that call to action box on your website? These are small decisions. Making a mountain out of questions like these is a great way to divert your attention from the larger matters at hand – and sabotage your success in the process.

How to clear this up…

First, practice a little mindset work. Pick a mantra like, “Every decision I make is supportive and the right one for me,” or, “I make swift and accurate decisions that support my business.”

So, now that you know your decision is not going to lead you astray, put your mantras into practice. When faced with a choice, select the answer that feels right in your soul. No second-guessing! Then, move on to the next decision.

If you need a little time to think about the decision you have to make, set a timer. When it goes off, make your selection. If it’s something small, like what photo to use, don’t think, just pick.

When you’ve selected an answer, claim it and stick with it. 

Should you find yourself in analytical overdrive and you’re really stuck, here are five ways you can go from stuck to free today.

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “But it isn’t the right time to blah blah blah.” Well…

The Time Is Now

I know, girlfriend. You want to make the right decision with all of the information, so you may think that it isn’t the right time because you’re lacking a piece of the puzzle. Or maybe you think, “When I have [big shiny thing] then I can do/be/have [thing I’ve always wanted to do/be/have]”

This is a common limiting belief that’s sabotaging your future success and happiness in both your life and your business.

When you stay in this holding phase of waiting for something to happen, you’ll be waiting forever. And, truthfully, that pattern of “When I have X, then I can do Y” is completely wrong. Really, it should be “I’ll do Y so I can have X.”

How to clear this up… 

This one is similar to making a decision. You have to trust, decide to do something, and do it. 

Trust that everything will be revealed to you – if you really need that information. Trust that you have all the information you need now to move forward. Trust that you are capable of doing it now, taking imperfect action to generate movement for yourself.

Because the world needs you to show up, please stop believing that you have to be a certain way or wait for a certain time to go out there and share your gifts.

There is no magical time on the clock. The time is now.

Reclaim Your Time

If the first two ways you’re sabotaging yourself came in the form of mindsets, this next one is more of an external force, though it still is a pretty subscious activity for most people.

We allow ourselves to be sabotaged by lacking or not enforcing boundaries on our time and attention. For whatever reason, we believe the dings and alerts and things begging for us to respond must be responded to right now.

Did you know that it takes 25 minutes to refocus your brain after an interruption? Say you were interrupted only three times in your day (although we all know we get so many more alerts than just three!)

That would mean a full hour – and then some – of your time would be spent getting yourself back on track to refocus on what you were doing.

You are allowing someone else to lay claim to your time. By responding to the alerts, even if your eyes just flit over to the message and you don’t take action on it, you’re telling yourself, “That external thing is more important than what I was working on.” That’s a mantra no one wants to have.

Tell yourself that every time you’re interrupted and you’re surely sabotaging yourself. 

When you have the email alerts appearing on your computer as you work and the group texts popping up on your phone that I know is sitting on the desk next to you, it’s no wonder you have a hard time evaluating solutions and no time feels like the right time.

How to clear this up…

Oh, come on, you’re smart. You know what I’m going to say. Turn the alerts off! A few suggestions… 

Turn your phone to Do Not Disturb during your working hours. Don’t worry, calls from people on your favorites list will still come through, so you won’t miss anything urgent.

Set times for you to check email and respond to messages at the beginning and end of your day. Then only check them at the designated time.

Close your inbox while you’re working.

Remove apps from your phone that are business-related and you could check from your computer during your set response times. You don’t need an email interruption while you’re having a family dinner!

Support is the Answer

For many, it’s hard to get out of this spiral of self-sabotage…well, by yourself! It requires a lot of self-reflection to notice every time we begin to sabotage ourselves and a tremendous amount of willpower to break the ingrained habits that led to these block in the first place.

Add in that many of these limiting beliefs are subconscious and so hard to notice on our own and you’ve got a recipe for allowing sneaky beliefs and behaviors to hold you back from being in full alignment and growing your business.

Support from a coach trained in mindset and strategy could help you shake the bungee cord loose once and for all. Here are a few ways I can help you untether yourself and break the limiting belief cycle you’re in!

You’re not alone when it comes to these sabotaging behaviors. Many of my clients have had to examine where they place their energy and focus. They’re better for it because thankfully, we get to experience their business in the world! And I know you can do the same.

Do you recognize any of these behaviors lurking in the shadows? Leave me a comment below (or just send me a message if you prefer to keep things private) and share with us how you overcame your business sabotages!