5 Ways You Come in Way of Your Own Success

“Rise up, then. Mend your ways.” These are the words of Franz Kafka that you need to remember whenever you think about personal development and self-improvement. As someone with dreams, you might be the one resisting your own goals by setting yourself up for failure unconsciously. By recognizing them, you can self-help until you are back on the road to your dreams once again.  

1 | Comparison With Others

In a world where social media dictates our lives, we are all guilty of going up on Facebook and Instagram to look at the way other people are living. I know it can seem like others have it good while you will never amount to anything. However, even the most successful social media influencers find this behavior to be a toxic element that will set you back. Your road to personality development is not the same as others. While it is good to draw inspiration, it can be deteriorating to merely envy what you see on a screen.

2 | Irrational Fears

In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield hails fear as a good thing. According to him, every successful person knows that fear can’t be eradicated and we have to keep working despite our fears. So, if you are paralyzed with fears about failure, you need to understand that both of these are natural phenomenons of life. If you want self-improvement to work, you need to keep working towards your goals even if you feel shaky and doubtful.

3 | The Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever thought about your dream job followed by the voice that says you don’t belong there? You might even find yourself calling yourself a fake or fraud even when you are working hard. However, if you leave that voice unresolved, it might make you quit the journey entirely. With self-help and healthy engagement with negative ideas, you can overcome Imposter Syndrome.

4 | Procrastination

You are blocking your path to success and personal development by procrastinating. I know what it is like to do everything except the one thing that will take you one step closer to your dreams. Maybe you need to write a chapter, paint a canvas or research your business ideas, etc. which you have been putting behind. Do five minutes to one hour of the activity and in a week, you’ll question why you ever thought procrastination was a good coping mechanism.

5 | Decision Fatigue

If most of your days either look like the result of impulsiveness or indecisiveness, you have decision fatigue and it is coming in the way of your self-improvement. Instead of making a bad decision or avoiding it forever, “Just sleep on it” as John Tierney suggests.

If sleep is something you struggle with, check out my popular article 10 Ways to Get Better Sleep, or my book notes on Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD. so you are getting the most out of every snore!

To Wrap Up

All of these signs in your personhood are signs of self-sabotage and many of us cling to them. We find them easier compared to the hard work that self-help and self-improvement requires. All it takes is the first step - which is just to notice a pattern of one or more of these habits in your life, then you can begin changing by identifying them.

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