We all do it. At one time or another, you will fall into the self-sabotage trap, no matter how successful you are, and the price of admission is always high. 

• Your income will suffer.
• Your self-esteem will plummet.
• Your confidence will find new lows. 

The end result? Frustration. Burnout. Resentment (of your clients or your business). And yes, even more self-sabotaging behaviors. This downward spiral can quickly turn devastating, but stopping it is easy when you learn to recognize the symptoms. 

Procrastination

Did you mean to apply for that high-end coaching program but missed the deadline? Or maybe you were going to send a proposal to a potential new client but waited too long? Or perhaps you didn’t take advantage of a sale price on a hot new app.

These and other missed opportunities can often be the result of simple procrastination, one of our most destructive habits. Procrastination is what keeps us working late at night to make a deadline, costs us money in late fees, and even costs us business. 

Here are some techniques to put an end to procrastination:

• Recognize your fear. What often keeps us stuck is fear. We’re afraid that even with that amazing coach we still won’t reach our goals, so we put off applying. We’re afraid our proposals will look bad when compared to others, so we just don’t send one. If you want to be successful in business, you must learn to recognize and face your fears, then do the work anyway. One interesting trait of all successful business owners is they “dance with fear” everyday. Fear is normal so live with it and act on it.
• Visualize the life and business you desire. Imagine what it will be like to have that amazing business you’ve been dreaming about. Picture your ideal workday, daydream about that fabulous vacation you’ll take, and imagine working with clients who love and value what you do. Start building systems within your business that will move you closer to this vision. What can you do that will create a wonderful experience for your clients? What can you do to make your business a great workplace for you and your employees?
• Reward yourself. It’s okay to give yourself a little incentive for getting things done. Take yourself out to lunch; buy a new pair of shoes; take an afternoon off, get a massage. Do what’s most likely to motivate you to power through your fears and take the next step. Once you start achieving momentum, you will find that your business will become fun again.

Failing to Complete Your Projects

Be honest. How many creative projects, partially planned programs, and unfinished products are cluttering up your hard drive right now? 

If you’re like a lot of entrepreneurs, the answer is probably several. 

You started all of them with great enthusiasm. You planned out your creative ideas, started outlining your program, created the slide decks, and maybe even drafted the sales page. And then…you just stopped working on it. 

Maybe you tell yourself that you’re too busy. Maybe you “need to do some more research.” Or perhaps you simply lost interest. The truth is none of those are the real reason. For a lot of creative entrepreneurs, this self-sabotaging habit is actually a symptom of a lack of confidence, and it’s keeping you from the success you deserve. 

You cannot know the actual success rate of a program you’ve never finished, and you cannot improve upon something you’ve never completed. So rather than filling your hard drive with half-finished projects, power through and start releasing them—even if you believe they’re not perfect, and even if you think they’ll never sell. You may be surprised at how this will give your business momentum and help you connect with your target audience.

ACTION: Try this exercise to replace your bad habits with ones that will lead to momentum, success and joy!

Design a New Success Ritual

Replace your bad habits with an alternative. Start thinking about what you do on autopilot and use this action step to harness the hidden powerful force of daily success rituals.

Grab your journal and let’s take a fresh look at the habits that are currently running your life.

1. What do you do almost every morning? Every afternoon? Every evening? Write down every single habit you can think of.
2. Review your list. What’s the one habit from that list that you feel is holding you back the most from starting and growing your business? What one habit, if you replaced it with a simple success ritual, would help you create the greatest amount of happiness, health, productivity and business success?
3. Design that new success ritual right now. It doesn’t have to be complex or take a lot of time. Make it simple and easy to implement. Remember, you can’t just drop a habit, you must replace it with an alternative behavior. Describe your new success ritual in detail, right now. Then do it. 
4. Don’t stop now!  Up to 40% of our lives are on autopilot. Once you’re able to successfully install one success ritual, keep going. Ensure that all of your daily habits are set up to help you start and grow your business!

Would you like additional support and accountability?

Sign up for the “GIVE ME A HAND”30 day coaching support package and we can help you get refocused on your business with four coaching calls to help you gain confidence and momentum over the next 30 days!