Sabotage

Being big on self-sabotage, I quickly picked this book when I saw. It is a very well organized pocket book, and you can read it in a go. I think the size was perfect. One of my biggest problems with self-help book is that it gets quite repetitive at times, and most of it ends being stories from the author or a person he knows. I like reading about it, but it can get tiring at times. So I like this one because it was compact, and though the author's talks about hers and other people experiences it does not get too crowded - and it is relevant for the subject. I do wish however most of it was not tailored to the creative arts (at least it was my feeling), but it not take away from the main message of the book.

I read the book as a curious outsider (I have other friendly inner demons, not sabotage, thanks to the Almighty). If you have felt beyond hope and a mastermind of your failure, Emma knows exactly what your private hell looks like. She recounts painfully honest incidents about self-sabotage that will have you rub eyes in disbelief, "Imagine putting this stuff on e-paper for all the world to see!" Backed by research and insights from professionals, her tips on 'slaying the sabotage' are effective, cute and do-some. Despite the sober subject, there are enough moments of laughter in the book to consider its placement in the 'humor' category. The book is 75 pages of easy read, a book that you will read more than once. It is chicken soup for the self-sabotaging soul.

This one is a slap in the face with the coldest truth. I really needed this and I hope people in need find their way to this book, too. Self-sabotage is a concept we all know of, but it's hard to see when it comes into action until someone tells you. It plays out in different ways and they ALL affect our lives. It wasn't until Emma Gannon pointed it out so respectfully that I figured out I've been sabotaging myself in more ways than I'd previously thought. My only negative remark is that the book's text was aligned to the left instead of being justified, which felt weird to read.

"Sabotage" is an easily digestible, super helpful read about a habit that so many of us fall victim to, consciously and subconsciously. The book definitely spoke to me because it's an unfortunate habit that's become rather ingrained in my day-to-day behaviour. I felt both seen and called out.

What makes the book really relatable is the many personal examples that Emma peppers throughout her writing. There's this feeling that you get that even for someone so accomplished in her own ways, if she can have moments of self-sabotage, maybe you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. But of course, there is a distinction between realising that it's human to have these moments of self-sabotage, and then correcting that behaviour. Emma puts it best when she says "... it helps to have a mixture of “you’re only human” and an element of “suck it up”! Self compassion is vital, but so is self-determination."

There are lots of helpful tips throughout the book, including the "Slay Your Sabotage" section at the end of nearly every chapter. I especially loved the actionable ways to deal with different types of sabotage in one of the later chapters.

This book almost reads like a pep talk from an older sibling - one where they can see the pain of your struggle but they also tell you in no uncertain terms to own your shit! I can see myself getting back to it often as I figure out ways to tackle my self-sabotaging behaviours.

A brilliant essay that everyone should read and have a copy of nearby!

This book might be short but it packs so much knowledge, tips, insights that I think everyone would find useful, I certainly did.

Emma Gannon talks about toxic friendships and relationships and how those can push you towards self-sabotage, how to spot it and what to do about it. She talks about why sometimes the emotions at the base of our actions are negative emotions, like envy, but ultimately push us towards our goals. She covers the topic of "rehearsing", which especially when you have anxiety means always preparing for the worst, thus making the present miserable in a failed attempt at making the future less painful.

I found comfort in all of these topics and tips on how to actively try to combat those negative thoughts and all of the elements which ultimately bring you to self-sabotage. As a creative, with a creative job, as a freelancer at the very beginning of her career I appreciated this book more than I expected to. It is not a self-help book but it helped me understand myself better, know the signs of self-sabotage and how to combat it. All of these tips are going to be super useful in my everyday life and in my professional life.

Seriously: I think everyone should read this!

So many gems in this short book about self-sabotage. Personal stories of the author’s own self-sabotage, including ways she sabotaged relationships or other important things in her life, and how she dealt with the aftermath. Creatives are one of the best at self-sabotage, but she goes even deeper than that. I found myself highlighting many sentences and phrases to go back to later. She includes tips and exercises to help you bust through and even recognize self-sabotage. Some of what she said seemed like common sense, things we should already know, but it was like a slap in the face from a good friend. I’ll definitely be referring to this again and again during my moments of self-sabotage. Highly recommended.

I found some really helpful tidbits in this book, so I will definitely be purchasing it for the library.