Written by Leon Kammer, Life and Executive Coach
Leon is a Life and Executive Coach. His experiences paved the way and his clients are typically, leaders, business professionals, and entrepreneurs. He brings his own personality to each session. His style of coaching is as unique as his story, transitional coaching, with a spiritual approach for clients who are open to change.
Our inner saboteur can be a constant hindrance, regardless of our achievements. This negative aspect of ourselves is always at work, sending messages that make us judge ourselves or others, feel fear, procrastinate, and doubt our confidence and abilities. Understanding and managing this saboteur is crucial for personal growth and success. Let’s explore how to identify this saboteur and how to transition to a more positive and empowering mindset, which we’ll call the Sage.
Inner saboteur
The negative voice that undermines our confidence and abilities.
Sage
The positive, creative, innovative and compassionate aspect of ourselves.
Recognizing the saboteur
The inner saboteur constantly tries to pull us down. It manifests in various ways:
Self-judgment
The saboteur makes us overly critical of ourselves, diminishing our self-esteem and sense of worth.
Fear and procrastination
It creates fear of failure, leading to procrastination and avoidance of challenges.
Self-doubt
It constantly questions our abilities and decisions.
The saboteur thrives on our attention. The more we listen to its negative messages, the stronger it becomes. However, it's important to note that while we can’t completely eliminate the saboteur, we can significantly reduce its influence.
Embracing the sage
The opposite of the saboteur is the Sage. The Sage represents the best version of ourselves: creative, innovative, empathetic, and compassionate.
The Sage encourages us to think outside the box, embrace new ideas, and find creative solutions to problems.
It promotes understanding and kindness towards ourselves and others, fostering a supportive and positive environment.
The Sage helps us build self-confidence and self-love, allowing us to pursue our goals with determination and resilience.
Transitioning from saboteur to sage
Moving from the saboteur to the Sage requires conscious effort and practice.
Awareness and identification
Start by recognizing when the saboteur is at work. Pay attention to negative thoughts and self-talk. Identify specific triggers that activate the saboteur’s messages.
Shift your focus
Once you identify the saboteur, consciously shift your focus to the Sage. Counter negative thoughts with positive affirmations and constructive thinking.
Build new habits
Consistently practice behaviors and thoughts that align with the Sage. Over time, this will create new neural pathways, making it easier to default to the Sage’s mindset.
By working at this consciously, you won’t completely get rid of the saboteur, but you will significantly diminish its power. Think of it as shrinking the saboteur from six feet tall to one foot tall. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes to operate from a place of Sage-like wisdom and positivity.
Identify and acknowledge
Recognize the saboteur’s influence and understand its impact on your thoughts and actions.
Shift and focus
Consciously shift your mindset from the saboteur to the Sage by embracing positivity, creativity, and empathy.
Practice habit-building
Consistently practice Sage-like behaviors to build new habits and reduce the saboteur’s influence.
By understanding and managing your inner saboteur, you can unlock your full potential and lead a more fulfilling, confident, and compassionate life.
Read more from Leon Kammer
Leon Kammer, Life and Executive Coach
Born in Kazakstan and migrating to Germany and then to Australia, proved to be a hard start for Leon Kammer. From these basic roots he followed a creative urge, firstly in the music business, while studying for a diploma as a Fashion Designer, developing his own brand when he was in his mid twenties.
