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Our own worst enemy at work can often be us.

If we get creative, we can get out of our own way and onto a path of success.

If we can get away from an inner battle, solving problems at work becomes easier.

Jennifer Smith was a co-worker of mine for years. While that’s not her real name, her story is all too real. She was a high achiever at work. A relentless advocate for the customer. A great communicator. I remember getting feedback from a customer that she was one of the best salespeople at the company and that the customer changed their perspective on the company through the lens of having the pleasure of working with her.

So she naturally was a superstar, right? Quickly promoted through the ranks to leadership and beyond?

Well, no. She was her own worst enemy.

She would have a debilitating fixed mindset, where her opinions and thoughts would seldom change. She would set goals that are too high—impossible to achieve. And finally, she had made everything personal—feeling that she was being conspired against by powers unseen.

I thought a lot about Jennifer lately because her tendencies are not all that rare. In fact, they are commonly found in the workplace and have affected some of us at some point in our careers, too. And that got me thinking a lot about being our own worst enemy and what we can do about it. So here are three creative things we can do to get out of our own way and onto a path of........

© Psychology Today