9 Habits Holding You Back — And How to Break Them Before 2026. Stop Self Sabotaging Your Life

Let’s be real—sometimes even the most organized, goal-driven women lose momentum. That’s me lately, but it’s time to reset and refocus.

In this post, I’m sharing the 9 habits that have been holding me back — and exactly how I’m breaking them before 2026.

From sleeping in and doom-scrolling to overworking and self-doubt, these habits quietly steal our momentum. The good news? Awareness is the first step to change.

Here’s what I did and how you can get started, too!

1. Counteracting the Lure of Sleeping In

The snooze button is a silent killer of momentum. By choosing to sleep in, we start the day in a reactive state, letting the morning’s demands dictate our focus. To combat this, I’ve replaced that passive start with a short, intentional power hour. This isn’t about adding more work; it’s about seizing control. Even 30 minutes dedicated to a high-priority task before the world starts making its demands sets a powerful tone. It’s a declaration that you own your schedule, not the other way around, creating a ripple effect of productivity and control throughout the entire day.

2. Breaking the Cycle of Doom-Scrolling

Mindless scrolling is one of the most significant drains on our cognitive energy and focus. It’s a habit that trades our most valuable asset—attention—for a fleeting hit of distraction. The solution is to move from passive consumption to intentional engagement.

By implementing scheduled social media blocks, I designate specific, limited times for checking feeds. This simple act of containment puts me back in the driver’s seat, transforming the phone from a source of endless distraction into a tool used on my own terms. It’s a non-negotiable strategy for reclaiming mental clarity.

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3. Dismantling the Habit of Overworking

The culture of hustle often glorifies overworking, but in reality, it’s the fast track to burnout and diminished creativity. True effectiveness isn’t about working more; it’s about working smarter. I now enforce firm boundaries around my time and batch similar tasks together. Task batching creates deep focus and efficiency, while boundaries protect the mental space required for rest and strategic thinking. This isn’t about being lazy; it’s about preserving the energy needed for high-level problem-solving and innovation.

4. Rewiring Negative Self-Talk

The most formidable obstacle to success is often our own internal critic. Negative self-talk quietly erodes confidence and sabotages progress before we even begin. To counteract this, I actively engage in practices that rewire my default mindset. I consistently journal my wins—no matter how small—to build a tangible record of competence and progress. This, combined with targeted affirmations, creates a new internal narrative, replacing self-doubt with evidence-based confidence.

It’s Time to Stop Sabotaging Your Success!

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5. Overcoming the Paralysis of Perfectionism

Perfectionism is one of the most sophisticated forms of procrastination. It keeps us from starting—or finishing—by setting an impossible standard. The most powerful truth I’ve embraced is that consistency beats perfection every single time. Momentum is built through small, repeated, and often imperfect actions. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment or the flawless output, the focus is now on showing up consistently and making incremental progress. Done is infinitely better than perfect.

6. Conquering Procrastination with Action

Procrastination thrives on overwhelm. We look at a massive project and, feeling intimidated, decide to tackle it “later.” The most effective strategy against this is to dismantle the task itself. I now break every large task into small, manageable, and actionable steps. The goal is to make the next step so small it’s impossible to resist. More importantly, I’ve adopted the rule to start before I feel ready. Action creates motivation; motivation rarely appears on its own.

7. Eliminating Chaos with Proactive Planning

Operating without a clear plan is an invitation for chaos and reactivity. It guarantees your week will be dictated by urgent fires rather than important goals. To enforce structure, I rely on dedicated tools like The Ambition Planner and AmbitionGPT to strategically map my weekly priorities. This is my non-negotiable Sunday ritual. It transforms the week from a series of random events into a structured timeline designed to achieve specific, predetermined outcomes.

8. Escaping the People-Pleasing Trap

Basing decisions on the pursuit of approval is a sure way to abandon your own goals. People-pleasing puts everyone else’s agenda ahead of yours. The critical shift has been to focus on outcomes, not opinions. My energy is now directed toward delivering results that align with my objectives. This requires giving myself unwavering permission to say no. A strategic “no” to a misaligned request is a powerful “yes” to my own mission and priorities.

9. Integrating the Power of Reflection

Moving at full speed without looking at the map is a recipe for wasted effort. Avoiding reflection is a common mistake that keeps us stuck in ineffective patterns. I now block out non-negotiable time each week to review progress, celebrate wins, and adjust my strategies. This strategic pause is where the real learning happens. It allows me to see what’s working, identify what needs to be cut, and ensure my actions are still aligned with my ultimate goals, turning my efforts into intelligent progress.

✨ Takeaway: Self-sabotage isn’t a personal failure—it’s a powerful signal. It points directly to the systems, mindsets, or boundaries in your life that require strengthening. By building structure, cultivating awareness, and committing to intentional habits, we can systematically move from a state of chaos to one of clarity, and finally reclaim the energy, focus, and momentum that is rightfully ours.

Action Step: Pick one habit from this listthat you’re determined to break before 2026. Write it down. Make a small, actionable plan for it.

Momentum starts with one step. 💖

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// DISCLAIMER: I am not a therapist or medical professional. All content in this and all other videos is my opinion. Please seek medical or other professional advice. I do not own the rights to the music in this or any episode.