You’re not afraid of failure.
You’re afraid of becoming the person who succeeds and losing everyone who knew the old you.
That’s the truth behind self-sabotage.
Not laziness.
Not weakness.
Identity protection on autopilot.
I’ve burned my own momentum more times than I can count.
From the Navy to corporate to tutoring to coaching: the same loop kept repeating.
I wasn’t failing because I couldn’t succeed.
I was failing because I wouldn’t let myself outgrow the version of me that survived.
This episode dismantles The Self-Sabotage Script: why you keep tripping right before the breakthrough, and how to rewrite the identity running the show.
In This Episode:
Why self-sabotage isn’t random, it’s a rehearsed safety script
How your nervous system protects identity, not potential
The invisible loyalty that keeps you small
How to burn the old script and act from who you’re becoming
✦ Reflection Prompts:
What script do I replay when I get close to what I want?
Where do I trade momentum for safety… again and again?
If I burned the old script today, what would I finally do tomorrow?
✦ The Boost (Action Step):
Spot the Scene. Write down the last time you sabotaged yourself. What triggered it?
Name the Script. Identify the identity behind it: survivor, pleaser, over-prover.
Flip the Line. Choose one bold action this week the old you would never take. Then do it scared.
If you’ve been stuck in loops that feel invisible, book your No-Cost Identity Clarity Callbook your No-Cost Identity Clarity Call, this is where we burn the old script together.
We’ll decode the identity keeping you small and help you step into the one built to lead, thrive, and expand.
✦ On the Next Episode:
The Perfectionism Prison: Why “Almost Ready” is Killing Your Potential.
Because sometimes sabotage doesn’t look like chaos… it looks like control.
And perfectionism is just fear with a productivity filter.
✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…
Share it with someone stuck in their loop
Subscribe for reglar rhythm resets
Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub
Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching sessions
✦ Engage With Me Online:
Instagram: @coachshawnmichael
TikTok: @coachshawnmichael
YouTube: @coachshawnmichael
LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala
✦ References & Influences:
Gay Hendricks – The Big Leap (on upper limits and self-sabotage)
Steven Pressfield – The War of Art (on resistance disguised as productivity)
Steve Andreas – Transforming Your Self (on rewriting identity patterns)
Bessel van der Kolk – The Body Keeps the Score (on nervous system protection loops)
With strength & heart,
❤️🔥 Shawn Michael
