How to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Own Business

Many women have a deep desire to work from home.  When they start working from home, they imagine a smooth path to success, and for some women, that is what happens. 

However, for other women, the path to success is rockier.  Maybe these women procrastinate since they no longer have a boss.  Because they procrastinate, their work is not as high quality as it could be if they did the work in a more timely manner.  For other women it may be because they say yes to too many projects, leaving themselves spread too thin and unable to produce the quality of work they would like because they don’t have enough time.  Other women may have their own blog or website that they neglect in favor of doing other clients’ work.  If you recognize yourself in any of the examples, it’s time to learn how to stop self-sabotaging your own business.

How to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Own Business

Look at the Root Cause

Any behavior we have, no matter how negative, has a root cause.  Often, people self-sabotage not because they don’t want to be successful but because they’re trying to protect themselves in some way.  Maybe it’s from a fear of failure or embarrassment.  If you don’t put in your best effort, you protect yourself from failing, at least in your mind’s eye.

Take some time and brainstorm a list of why you may be behaving the way that you are.  Once you know the root cause, you can work on changing your behavior.

Practice Positive Self Talk

Do you listen, really listen, to the things you tell yourself?  If you have the opportunity to speak at a conference, you may immediately want to say no.  Some thoughts in your mind may be, “I don’t have anything interesting to say,” or “I’m no good at public speaking.” 

Ask yourself, if a friend had the opportunity to speak at a conference and asked what you’d recommend, would you tell her the same things you tell yourself?  Probably not because we’re much harsher with ourselves than we are with other people.

Try to talk to yourself like you would a good friend.  When faced with a speaking opportunity, you’d likely tell your friend, “You should do it!  You have so much wisdom to share with others!”  Talking to yourself like you would a friend helps you break the habit of negative self talk.

Set Your Schedule Up for Success

Finally, create a schedule and stick to it.  If you’re the blogger who does all of your clients’ work before you do your own, plan your schedule so that your work comes first.  Set aside 30 to 60 minutes first thing to do your own work; then move on to the clients’ work.

If you’re a procrastinator, learn how to break down your large projects in smaller size pieces and give yourself deadlines.  Reward yourself when you accomplish your work before your deadline.

Also, make sure to schedule your work time when you’re most productive so you can maximize the work that you do in less time.

Take the time to recognize why you may be self-sabotaging your business and then take the proper steps to set yourself up for success.  If you feel your business is unsuccessful, sometimes changing just a few negative habits can put you on the path to success.