This week I’ve been thinking a lot about internal saboteurs. They’re the voices or mental patterns that developed to protect us — often in response to chronic stress, rejection, or the need to perform or please in environments not built for our brains. Over time, though, they can shift from protective to disruptive. What once helped us survive can start to erode our sense of self — fueling shame, overfunctioning, and burnout.
In this Field Notes, I walk through what surfaced for me when I explored my own saboteur profile, and how these inner dynamics show up in my work life — especially when it comes to aligning my time with my values. If your mind sometimes feels like a crowded room of disruptors you’re not alone.
I’m hoping this conversation opens up space — either within yourself or here in comments thread — for some nuance, gentle attunement, and maybe even a bit of dark humor 🙂. Because when your inner world is this noisy, sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply nam…
