5 Warning Signs That You Won't Succeed

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and have a "re-do"? As Maya Angelou shared, "Now that I know better, I do better."

But, what if you're unaware that you're sabotaging your success? How can you "do better"? Check yourself for these behavioral pitfalls to prevent disappointment:

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1. You procrastinate your success. You keep saying that you'll do it tomorrow. By continuing to postpone necessary action steps, you might feel like you're running in place.

• What to do instead: Write out a specific, measurable goal. Break down the goal into small action steps, schedule the steps in your calendar, and follow through.

2. You avoid taking personal responsibility. You tend to blame others for your lack of results, your stay stuck in your "story" for inaction, and you see yourself as a victim.

• What to do instead: Own your choices. Rather than staying stuck in the past, learn from it and move on. Start taking action despite mistakes you've made.

3. You give into your fear instead of leaning into your growth. Anytime you feel fear, you respond by escaping the situation or avoiding it. In doing so, you fail to challenge yourself and thereby fail to develop the skills, stamina, and understanding necessary to help you to advance.

• What to do instead: Use fear as a signal that you're about to grow if you take action. Then take an action that will move you one step closer to your desired outcome.

4. You operate in a vacuum. You like to do things on your own. However, you're only as successful as your current level of thinking permits. While you might rise to the level of your thoughts, you limit yourself by limiting your input from others.

• What to do instead: Read, learn from others who've achieved what you want to achieve, and consult with experts who might open your mind to even better ways of thinking.

5. You don't have an accountability partner. You might set goals, but because no one is watching, when the going gets tough, you stop. Your motivation to succumb to your own low frustration tolerance is higher than your motivation to take action. As a result, things stay the same.

• What to do instead: Develop higher frustration tolerance by focusing on the long term results of tolerating momentary discomfort. Create an accountability arrangement with a peer. Alternatively, consider hiring a psychologist or life coach to help you to understand yourself better and to hold you accountable for taking action steps and following through on your goals.

Increasing your awareness of these 5 saboteurs of success can help you, but only if you use your new awareness to make better choices now.

Dr. Pam Garcy is a psychologist and life coach who enjoys helping people apply principles of psychology to set goals, diminish sabotage, and improve their results.