Following is a list of my saboteurs, those cunning characters whose raison d’être is my safety. Perhaps you will recognize some of these saboteurs as your own. For a detailed discussion of “the saboteurs,” please see my article, entitled “I Have Met the Enemy and It Is Me.”
Reasoner – comes up with seemingly plausible reasons why continuing to pursue my goal makes no sense
Sleepyhead – tries to convince me that taking a nap is a much better idea than continuing to pursue my goal
Hungry Jack – tries to convince me that having something to eat is a much better idea than continuing to pursue my goal
Playmate – tries to convince me that going out to play is a much better idea than continuing to pursue my goal
Doubting Thomas – tells me things like “this is never going to work” in an attempt to discourage me from continuing to pursue my goal
Scaredy Cat – tries to convince me that continuing to pursue my goal will surely put me in harm’s way
Judge Judy – tells me things like “this is a dumb idea,” “you don’t know what you’re doing,” “you’re not as smart as you think you are,” and “nobody cares what you think or have to say,” in an attempt to discourage me from continuing to pursue my goal
Monkey Mind – tries to distract me from continuing to pursue my goal with “bright shiny objects”
Persnickety – tries to prevent me from continuing to pursue my goal unless or until everything I’m doing is perfect
Ostrich – tries to convince me that tuning out/turning off is a much better idea than continuing to pursue my goal
Bored Stiff – tries to make me lose interest in my goal for no apparent reason
Helpless – attempts to convince me that the only way I’m going to be able to continue pursuing my goal is for others to do the work for me
Superman/Wonder Woman – tries to push me far beyond my limits, in an attempt to drain me of the energy that I need to continue pursuing my goal
Drill Sargent – attempts to control my every thought, desire, and action, in an attempt leave me feeling worn down and resentful, to the point where I’m no longer interested in continuing to pursue my goal
Guilt Tripper – tries to convince me that continuing to pursue my goal is a selfish act
Lazy Bones – tries to convince me that lazing around, reading trashy novels, playing Candy Crush, or watching mind-numbing television shows is a much better idea than continuing to pursue my goal
One reply on “Dr. Bollé’s Saboteurs”
[…] Whether you conceptualize your saboteur as a single, perhaps multifaceted, being—akin to Proteus—or a cast of characters, as presented in Shirzad Chamine’s Positive Intelligence, the process for effectively managing these aspects of yourself is the same: (1) acknowledge; (2) befriend; (3) collaborate (to see a list of my saboteurs, click here). […]