Most human beings are guilty of some of their actions and often don’t know about them until somebody else points it out. These subconscious actions lead us to sabotage our careers because of self-doubt and the thought that we’ll never be good enough to achieve our goals and grow.
This also indicates that sometimes we can be our own worst enemies without knowing it. We don’t even realise that we are holding ourselves back.
Thankfully, you can easily stop these bad habits and ways of thinking with a few crucial practices. These practices will help you stay ahead in your career.
Listen to your positive inner voice
Fear and apprehensions are at the core of what holds us back. We often feel that our inner critical voice is right. It’s time to put aside those harsh, self-critical inner voice that echoes “I can’t” or “I’m a failure.” Start replacing the critical inner voice with positive, encouraging thoughts.
Once you begin looking at the areas and ways you’re limiting yourself, you can effectively counter that behaviour by not engaging in self-sabotaging behaviour.
Stop treating meetings like they’re a waste of time
Let’s admit it; nobody loves meetings. They could be dull, long and leave you daydreaming about all the wonderful things you could be doing if you were outside. But unfortunately, they are important. And while you may be tempted to avoid them because you have work pending or you think they’re a waste of time, it’s still a good idea to sit through them.
“This is because even when you have nothing to contribute to the meeting, you might learn something useful or know how you can contribute”, states Lisa Wilkins, an expert for online essay writing help service. Additionally, attending meetings is also a great way to indicate that you are, and want to be involved in what’s going on within the company and what everyone is working on.
Keep other people in mind when communicating
Too often, we assume that everyone behaves, thinks, and communicates the same way we do. In fact, we make the mistake of focusing our sales pitches and communication about us, instead of our intended audiences.
Regardless of your industry or profession, you must remember the four words that have the power to change the results completely, i.e., it’s not about you.
Skipping work events
Working for an organisation that holds company picnics or an annual costume party may not be your idea of fun, but participating can be beneficial.
That’s because the people coming up with these ideas are trying to boost morale between co-workers and bring them together.
Additionally, skipping work events indicate that you aren’t bothered about getting involved with the organisations or co-workers. This is just as bad as not showing up to work events in the first place. So, try to make an effort by showing up at these events from time to time, and take part in activities and maintain stronger relationships with your co-workers.
Talk less and listen more
Do you know that one person who talks endlessly about themselves, and never considers what others have to say? Don’t be that person.
The most likeable people who go out of their way to listen more than they speak, which strengthens the relationships and communication, fosters collaboration, offers a competitive advantage.
Change the pattern of your behaviour
Changing our negative behaviours is fundamental if you want to stop sabotaging your careers. Every action you take either moves you toward or away from the person you want to be. The way you behave may keep you from what you want to achieve in your career.
Think of how your actions and thoughts clash with your happiness and hold you back from your realising your true potential. Then find ways to replace old patterns with new ones that are more beneficial in achieving your goals.
At first, you may need to learn to change our behaviour by avoiding certain triggers like negative people or challenging circumstances that lead us to react in unfavourable ways.
Quit the habit of over-sharing
There always comes a time where you walk the line between sharing an appropriate amount of information about yourself and sharing too much information. And while you may consider you’re “just sharing”, others may not feel the same way. They may even feel uncomfortable around you in the future because of your over-sharing.
This, in turn, could adversely impact your career because your boss and co-workers may begin to think that you have no boundaries and may try to avoid starting conversations with you.
It’s possible that if you share too little about yourself, they may think that you’re not comfortable sharing or that you don’t like them. So, while you shouldn’t hesitate to share things about yourself with your colleagues, you should also be careful about sharing too much information.
Never compare yourself with others
Comparing yourself to others turns out to be disastrous for you. If you focus too much on what other people are doing and how well they’re doing it, you’ll have no time to work on yourself and work your own way up the ladder.
Also, concerning yourself with what everyone around you is doing and how fast their career is moving than yours is like peddling backwards on a cycle. It’s never going to get you nowhere.
So, irrespective of what’s happening in your colleagues’ careers, put on some blinders and focus on yours instead.
Stay focused on your goal
Once you determine the cause of your fear and inhibitions, try to focus on your goals. Each time a thought like “I can’t do this because …” creeps on your mind, you need to remind yourself and focus on the smaller tasks that help you move towards your overall goal.
To overcome the fear of failure, you must completely set your mind on the outcome you want to witness. The more you focus on the end game, the more you obliterate pessimism from your mind.
Parting thoughts,
To prevent sabotaging your career, there are some simple changes that you’ll need to implement. These changes will ultimately ensure your career moves in the right direction.
