How good is good enough? When is a break too long? When is the right time to take a break? How hard should I be on myself? Am I doing all I can? Why do you keep self-sabotaging yourself?

These are just some of the questions that the youth would ask themselves every now and then.
I swear when motivation hits you, you become unstoppable in action and spirit, conversely when sh** hits the fan it’s a dark time. A very odd dark time.

I am clueless on how to fight some of these detrimental urges that cost way too much to indulge in. When you are in a self-sabotaging rut, how can you effectively get out of it?

The cost is just too much. In a span of 48 hours, you can undo a whole month of consistent progress. That’s 48 hours! What level of self-sabotage is this?

The funny thing about self-sabotage is that you really can’t blame anyone, you are very aware of what is happening all the time, you even know what you’re supposed to do. I don’t know how to overcome this self-sabotage issue.

You should stop playing yourself and get things done.
Looking at sabotage in a larger scope, when a person self-sabotage themselves there is a chain reaction that affects more than just you. Starting at home, your parents and those close to you have a lot of trust and hope in you, they are heavily invested in your wellbeing and as I’ve come to realise, your actions whether small or big affects them in a way. Imagine how you feel when you let yourself down, now try imaging how your parents feel after you self-sabotage.

There is always someone rooting for you, whether they are close to you or from a distance. There is someone who looks up to you and would genuinely like to learn from you or in some cases be like you. People might not say it directly, especially those that look up to you from a distance, but when you self-sabotage your progress, you kill their sense of belief. Worse, they might imitate you and do the same with themselves.

At the end of the day only you know the extent of your actions and how they affect you while being in a self-sabotaging rut can be unfortunate, only you can get yourself out. Only you know when you are doing enough.

*Olavi Popyeinawa has a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia. He writes on youth matters. Find him on Instagram: olavi_popyeinawa, Facebook: Olavi Popyeinawa and Twitter: @ OlaviPopyeinawa