Have you ever paid attention to what happens in your body and your mind when you’re in the middle of or on the precipice of a big expansion? And by big expansion, I mean doing something that is pretty far out of your comfort zone.

Here are some examples of “big expansions”:

• Starting a new, bigger role at your company or a new one.
• Having or adopting a child.
• Writing and publishing a book.
• Displaying your artwork publicly.
• Speaking in public for the first time.

I’m sure you can think of more, ones that you have experienced. As women leaders, big expansions are an important and necessary part of our growth. We already know that fear and lack of confidence can hold us back. But when we tackle them and move forward with our plans, other parts of our subconscious can jump in and get us off track—sometimes without us even realizing it.

That’s what I call sneaky saboteurs.

As you know, I had a big expansion recently: writing and publishing my book Discovering Power. While my sneaky saboteurs didn’t stop me, I’ve realized—in hindsight—that they caused a bit of aggravation and made my book launch a little less effective than it could have been.

Wow. Talk about a wake-up call. It’s not that I haven’t done the work on my subconscious. I’ve become familiar with the unconscious beliefs that hold me back, and I’ve mastered them! That’s what I teach. Of course, I have.

And I have.

BUT.

To quote Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D., “the work is to keep doing the work”.

The reality is that every time we grow, expand and get way out of our comfort zone, that subconscious mind that we try so hard to tame rises up and shows us where more work needs to be done. And that’s what happened to me.

Here’s what happened in the time surrounding my book launch:

1. I got sick with a very bad cold. I very rarely get sick. In fact, the last time I was sick was when I launched my very first book several years ago.
2. I experienced a lack of energy. Yes, this was partially due to being sick and not getting enough sleep, but I also think it was my body’s way of trying to slow me down.
3. I was more easily distracted. I had to work harder at being focused and following through than I normally do.

Our sneaky saboteurs can catch up off-guard just when we are most vulnerable.

But, becoming aware of them, as I quickly did with my book launch, can help us to heal and clear them so that their impact is minimized. It doesn’t mean that they completely go away. Honestly, they never will.

What it does mean is that we can faster and more easily identify them and derail them, before they derail us!

Fortunately, I managed to get my sneaky saboteurs under control so my book launch went very well. But it was a good reminder to be vigilant for signs that my subconscious is trying to take over so that I can catch them before they catch me!

So, how about you? What kind of activities do your sneaky saboteurs try to stop you from doing? How have you derailed them? Let me know in the comments.

*Estés, C.P, Ph.D., Women Who Run with the Wolves, Ballantine Book, New York, 1995. (p. 115)
Photo credit: istockphoto.com/MrKornFlakes