Yep, you’ve got it, we sabotage ourselves. We all know that, so there is no news there and if you understand how you are triggered, and what your core needs are, then you have a window of opportunity between the and action and your reaction to take control of any situation.
To do this you must know your dominant personality. We are all a blend of personalities BUT we have a dominant style that drives us and controls us. When you understand yours, you will begin to appreciate your traits and things will change for the better.
As an advanced DISC practitioner, I use the DISC model but I prefer to refer to the letters as characters because I’ve found people in the workplace can not only more easily associate with a character, they can also remember them.
So, who are you, and how are you more likely to sabotage yourself?
If you are a high D – I refer to you as a Captain. You love to control and you are a fast mover. Where you are likely to sabotage yourself is when results are slow. You want everything now or to at least see great progress. For you to stop sabotaging yourself, create a map of what it is you are working toward. Notice the milestones and progress you are making. This will give your brain a sense of achievement and will lessen the likelihood of boredom and giving up.
If you are a high I – I refer to you as a Clown. You love fun and you are a talker. Your area to watch is sidetracking. Things will be moving along just fine and then out of nowhere, a bouncing ball bounces past and you are off chasing it. You are very easily distracted. For you to stay on task, add fun and people to it. You love to connect and have a good time so if you add those two elements you will increase your chances of sticking to your goal.
If you are a high S – I refer to you as a Counsellor. You love peace and you love a controlled pace. Your sabotage is likely to come from putting others’ needs first and ensuring everybody is happy. You don’t like confrontation or hurting people’s feeling. For you to succeed without sabotage, have a clear map of your goal with milestones that have dates attached to them. This way you will do what you need to do and you are less likely to put the needs of others first.
If you are a high C – I refer to you as a Conductor. You love to get things right and have a process that you want to use. Your sabotage is going to be analysis paralysis. You are so afraid of getting it wrong that you are not likely to take action. Your fear of imperfection is what will hold you back. For you, create a timeline, you love a process so have one with each project you undertake and you will want to stick with it.
Remember that we are a blend of each but we do have a dominant style. Can you notice yours? Also, be aware that we run at different levels of our traits depending on how things are going in our life or whether we are higher or lower into that personality type.
In summary, it is great to understand yourself, to be aware of what potentially trips you up and how you can eliminate or at least reduce the likelihood of that happening. If you are keen to know more or if you would like to complete your assessment then feel free to reach out to me by email. hilary@hilarysaxton.com