Are you your own worst enemy when trying to do your job? Is your career on shaky ground and youre wondering if its your fault? Do you find yourself wondering, once again, if youll be fired? If youre asking these questions, then you might be sabotaging yourself and not even know it! Do yourself a favor and probe deeper to discover how you might be adding to your lack of success. Here is a sampling of the markers of self-sabotage: Exhaustion
Missed deadlines
Weight gain, no self-care
Health issues
Fractured friendships and relationships
No time for networking
Working harder and longer hours but never getting caught up
Reluctance to talk to, or trust, your boss What can you do if you feel that you might be self-sabotaging your career? Here are tips: Schedule time to step back and look at the bigger picture. You say you have no time to do that? Thats self-sabotage! Its only by getting a 50,000 foot view of your situation that you can see what can be done differently. The goal is to work smarter, not harder. Organize your thoughts. Separate tasks into those that only you can do. Be realistic and accept that you dont have to do everything yourself. Micromanaging will de-motivate your staff and doesnt allow them to own their projects. What resources would you need to perform your job better? You might need to ask for more staff, delegate assignments or telecommute one day a week. Once you have identified what you need, ask for a meeting with your boss. Insure that you are rested, calm and able to state the facts clearly while making your case. Your boss might even help you prioritize the most critical tasks. If you discover exhaustion and anger are a pattern that has occurred more than once in your recent career, reach out to a therapist or counselor to learn how to overcome that pattern. We often have times in our career that frustrate us and stall our ability to perform at peak levels. These periods are usually temporary and associated with particularly stressful events. However, if manic, disorganized and dysfunctional describes your daily job experience, this warrants a closer look. |
