How to avoid self-sabotage this week

Why knowing your triggers is key to creating good habits

If you’re anything like me, you’ll set out for the week ahead with lots of good intentions and positive energy. Perhaps your to-do list is neatly written or typed out. Your calendar is scheduled and time-blocked to enable progress on your priorities.

Monday hits. And it hits the fan.

You spend all day dealing with little fires everywhere. You race from meeting to meeting and drink too much coffee. That fuels your sugar consumption. Your carefully scheduled time blocks for “quiet work” or “critical priority 1” get scribbled all over with urgent emails and pulls on your time.

You get home, late. You push aside your beautifully prepared cut vegetables and salad with whole grains that you lovingly made in advance on Sunday. You grab a ready meal or order takeaway, even though it’s Monday.

You collapse on the sofa and watch TV blankly.

Sound familiar? It certainly does to me. I’ve done this too many times in my working life.

I can beat myself up for days about my self-sabotage. And listen, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional wallow. We all need it from time to time.

But if the odd wallow becomes a regular plunge into the abyss, then it’s time for change.

This is how I tackle self-sabotage and three tips for creating good habits that stick.