Break free from hidden pressures sabotaging success

Underneath every crippling worry lies a secret saboteur—an unspoken force rooted in past hurts, hidden biases, or tribal scripts we never questioned. A rising entrepreneur I coached believed she’d never secure funding because “girls don’t pitch.” That narrative, passed down by well-meaning relatives, robbed her of confidence until she wrote it down and called it out for what it was. Research in social psychology shows that naming self-critical thoughts and tracing them to their origin dramatically reduces their grip on our behavior. Once we make these hidden forces visible, they lose their camouflage—they become mere data to analyze, not dictators of our actions. By mapping your own inner saboteurs, you prepare your alter ego with targeted defenses. Instead of getting swept away by old scripts, you step forward as the fearless innovator you truly are. Body and mind align in a new, empowering dialogue, where setbacks spark strategy, not surrender. As a result, your performance shifts: stalled pitches, panic onstage, and procrastination become obstacles to dismantle, not inevitabilities to accept.

Begin by writing down the most critical self-talk that arises under pressure, then ask yourself what fear fuels each message. Next, dig further into any cultural or family stories that reinforce those fears. Finally, note the moments when each saboteur appears—before presentations, deadlines, or exams—and prepare your alter ego’s response ahead of time. Try this exercise before your next big challenge.