Our mindset can hinder us from living our intentional life
Whether it’s something small like picking up a new creative hobby or something significant like changing careers, there’s a large number of mindsets that prevent us from achieving them. These self-sabotaging don’t serve us. They keep us from achieving what we strive for and be who we want to be. Mental hurdles will always be there, but it’s our job to get past them.
I experience self-doubt, fear of failure, perfectionism, and even a lack of motivation every day when I write, when I film myself, or when I’m about to hit “Publish” on one of my content platforms. 😨
Every day is a challenge navigating around these hurdles, but I strive to overcome them every time. And every time I do, it becomes easier to face the next time. We have a mindset muscle that we strengthen every time we do something that is challenging and uncomfortable. 💪
We all experience self-sabotaging mindsets
I’ll share a little secret that I haven’t told a lot of people: I hate filming myself. I actually didn’t plan to start videography to be the main subject of my videos. I wanted to share other people’s stories and lessons learned to my audience. I value personal connections and always preferred interacting with people in person. 🤝
Ever since COVID happened, I had to pivot my content strategy because creating content with people over webcam wasn’t something I was looking forward to. I now share some of my own experiences and lessons learned on intentional living. Although there are only a few, I’m proud to have released them. It took a lot of my mental capacity to get through them and honestly, it wasn’t easy.
Time and time again, when I filmed myself, I dreaded it. But my reason for filming myself was to talk about topics I cared to share with you all. That mission has helped me get through the difficulties of filming myself. 🔑
This also goes into writing blogs and articles. I’m not necessarily good at them, but I’m motivated by the mission. Creating accountability and deadlines for myself has pushed me to release either a video, newsletter, or blog article at a weekly basis.
Creating systems and mindset shifts helped me fight against these invisible obstacles.
And I bet they’d do the same for you as well.
Start with small changes, embrace change with curiosity & excitement, and ask for help.
Overcome self-sabotaging mindset with mindset shifts & systems
Here are some mindset shifts & systems you can use to overcome the following self-sabotaging mindsets:
Fear of Failure - Embrace experimentation like a scientist. Treat failure as a data point. Have a Growth Mindset.
Self-Doubt & Unworthiness - Work on a goal/mission that is bigger than yourself (a greater purpose).
Overwhelm - Break tasks into smaller ones. Focus on small wins towards the large goal.
Need for Validation & People-Pleasing - Do work that is intrinsically motivating & rewarding.
Perfectionism & Procrastination - Create constraints and focus on completion (Deadlines & achievable milestones).
Comparison - Focus on your own self-growth and accomplishments. Be open for collaboration and be part of communities.
Need for Control - Build trust for others. Realize that you can do better work at scale with a team.
Multitasking - Only focus on what adds value to you. Prioritize what’s most important.
Impatience & Lack of Motivation - Build Grit and habits.
You’ll experience self-sabotaging mindsets often
When you live your intentional life, it won’t be a walk in the park. You will challenge yourself time and time again, meaning these self-sabotaging mindsets will come back. To live an intentional life requires different mindset shifts.
You can’t completely get rid of these negative thoughts, but you can overcome them by focusing on the long-term goal and putting systems in place. Over time, your mindset muscles will get stronger, and you’ll be able to overcome these mindset traps. 🙌
Which self-sabotaging mindset have you experienced lately? Which mindset shift or system has worked for you?
Let me know by replying to this email! I’d love to hear any other self-sabotaging mindsets you’ve overcome or any mindset shifts or systems you’ve used to overcome them!