Escape from the Self-Canceling Gridlock: The Mindset needed for Massive Action and Success
Life is a series of trials. I succeed in some projects but fall short in others.
Thankfully, failure, though frequent, is not always the case. Recently I was thrown back into a self-canceling gridlock: an effort takes place, then some progress, with a retreat is followed by relapse. Later, it is back to resolves, and the same pattern repeats.
Self-canceling typically happens when one idea is canceled out by another. A lack of confidence cancels high hopes. Or determination is canceled by weak will. The cause is ascribed to something within the person as a contradiction between two entities.
This pattern comes up in various disciplines, weight loss, musical training, diet, money management, etc.
For me, the pattern has emerged in the following ways. I developed a manuscript for publication but then failed to market it due to thinking it wasn’t good enough. I lost fifty pounds, authored a book about it but then failed to spread the word due to a lack of belief that I had a method that might work for others. I earned a Ph.D. but was unable to thrive in the teacher role. These are examples of self-undermining aggravated by low confidence.