I used to worry constantly about being too busy.

I never liked to have too many projects at once.

I said no – a lot. To meetings, to calls, to opportunities.

When my calendar filled up, I felt stressed and overwhelmed.

I lived under the assumption that my time was precious and therefore was to be guarded and protected.

That last part is still true – to some extent. Your time is precious. You only have this one life. You should be intentional. You should prioritize.

But I had overcorrected in some places – like people and new opportunities – and I undercorrected in others – specifically with my thoughts.

I was prioritizing worry. And, as a result, I crowded out room for creativity.

In other words, I was getting in my own way.

That’s self-sabotage...

Self-sabotage shows up when our own thoughts or behaviors undermine the outcomes we actually want.

Sometimes it’s deliberate. Often it’s unconscious.

Either way, it acts like an internal roadblock, slowing progress and impacting our work, relationships, and growth.

It often looks like:

• Procrastination: delaying work to avoid discomfort
• Perfectionism: setting standards so high that nothing ever feels finished
• Negative self-talk: questioning your competence or worth
• Avoidance: withdrawing from people, decisions, or uncertainty altogether

These behaviors stem from familiar places: fear of failure, low self-worth, a discomfort with the unknown, control issues.

In my case, worry spiraled into stress. Stress narrowed my vision. I wasn’t exploring – I was hiding.

I defaulted to what felt safe instead of what was possible.

Your best work requires access to your best mind.

Self-sabotage gets in the way of that, quietly draining mental space – space you could be using to think, imagine, or see a problem from a new angle.

When your attention is consumed by fears about being judged, repeating mistakes, or getting it wrong, creativity takes a back seat.

That might protect you emotionally in the short term. But it limits what’s possible – especially when you’re navigating ambiguity and there isn’t a clear right answer yet.

Getting out of your own way starts with:

1. Noticing what’s dominating your attention
2. Asking whether it’s helping you move forward or keeping you stuck
3. Making choices about how you want to start thinking

These steps are simple – they are not always easy.

Retraining your mind’s typical patterns takes patience with yourself – and a lot of deep breaths as you try to shift into a new way of thinking.

I hope you’ll make space for it.

Take a moment to pause & reflect. What thoughts have been taking up the most space in your head lately? Where might fear or shame be shaping your choices? What else is shaping them? What’s one problem you’ve been avoiding instead of exploring?

Actions, experiments, & things to try next. Try a quick mental reset. Write down your top three worries. For each, ask: “Is focusing on this helping or hurting my ability to do what I want to do?” Then write down three things you want to prioritize thinking about today. This isn’t toxic positivity. It’s being intentional.

Until next time,

Michael

Michael Schefman | 321 Liftoff​

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