SELF-SABOTAGE AMONG GEOSCIENCES STUDENTS AND EARLY CAREER PROFESSIONALS: A RETARDING COG TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER PATH

Have you always found yourself working toward an essential goal in geosciences only to stunningly fail or withdraw because you did something stupid? Self-sabotage is used when this destructive behavior or attitude is directed at yourself.

Many students and early career professionals are often faced with “self-sabotaging” without even noticing it. This is imperative when negative habits consistently undermine the productive efforts, it can be considered a form of psychological self-detriment. In addition, this usually occur when one is trying to achieve something rewarding and great. To mention but a few, it often comes with stress, anxiousness, discouragement, frustration, failure, sadness, lack of confidence, negative talk, procrastination, humiliation, etc. Most geosciences students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and early career professionals may have derailed from a successful career path because of the behavioral symptoms mentioned.

Here, this presentation is putting forward an antidote for students and career professionals to confidently embrace the task ahead and defeat self-sabotage by i) Understand the emotions that lead to the behavior of self-sabotaging, ii) Spot the discerning or beliefs that triggers the emotion, iii) Change behaviors, emotions and thoughts aligned to self-defeatism, and iv) Develop self-supporting behaviors that can ameliorate the “cankerworm” sinking into the career path.

There is no successful geosciences career journey without self-sabotaging. However, the “golden rule” should be to challenge negative thinking with logical, positive assertions, and enthusiasm. Students and early career professionals should turn their assumptions to gain some much-needed perspective to defeat self-sabotage.

Keywords: Self-sabotage, Students, Early-careers, Professionals, Change behaviors