Why You Should Sometimes Embrace Self-Sabotage
Do you ever start a piece of work and then after an hour or two get stuck and start to think - I can’t do this? Self-sabotage sets in and, for me, I begin saying to myself: “What made me think that someone like ME could actually accomplish this?”
I’ve had many roles in my life: student, scientist, engineer, blogger, marketer, technical writer. In all roles I have thought: “What the hell am I doing here? I’m not meant to __________.” That blank space was so many things:
Memorize all these facts for an exams
Solve complicated machine design problems
Code or script in Linux to conduct analyses
Write creatively
Call myself an entrepreneur
Consult on my expertise
Frustration Leads to Giving Up… Temporarily
You see, the frustration and self-sabotaging thoughts above are actually helpful. They make you walk away, seemingly too confused or unable to solve the problem. You put everything away for a night and come back the next morning with fresh eyes.
Suddenly, things don’t seem so bad….
You find the additional research you needed by Googling a bit differently.
You see that second angle you could take to explain a concept.
Your coding error is now glaringly obvious.
You change your process to arrive at the solution much easier.
Sometimes it’s best to allow the self-sabotaging thoughts to act as an anchor for you. Put things away for a bit and let your mind chew over them in your sleep, while doing the dishes, while taking a shower….
Suddenly, when you come back to the problem and spend another hour’s worth of work, you have:
Finished the 1000 word blog without so much as a hiccup.
Easily explained a concept from a completely different point of view.
Found the bug and happily moved on to use the code flawlessly.
Solved the problem confidently, now ready to move on to the next task.
3 Necessary Evils to Solve Problems
There are necessary evils that paradoxically allow us to solve problems faster than if we kept pushing in the first place, but they require time. So, it’s understandable that when you’re up against a deadline, doing these three steps can seem next-to-impossible. But perhaps just a 10 minute walk outside could also provide you with:
Perspective
Time to mull things over
Distance
So, if you’re on the creative struggle bus today, facing writer’s block, banging your head against the same technical bug, or unable to see the way out, put it away. Let the sabotage set you free. Do something else. Sleep on it.
Stop pushing so god damn hard.
Let yourself work at your pace.
Let it work itself out.
Let it all flow.
