Why You Keep Self-Sabotaging (And How to Stop)

Have you ever had a goal you wanted to pursue… but something in you kept pulling the brakes?

That’s self-sabotage—and in this episode of the Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin explain what’s happening beneath the surface: cognitive distortions (thinking errors… aka lies) that quietly keep your belief system stuck in place.

They use a powerful analogy: your mind is like an operating system. If you avoid the “software updates,” the bugs don’t disappear—they grow… until your system starts breaking down.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
•Why self-sabotage often feels protective (but blocks growth)
•What cognitive distortions are and how they reinforce beliefs
•How distortions create shame, perfectionism, overwhelm, and paralysis
•A Catholic lens on truth, the intellect, and freedom (Aquinas + CBT)
•Real examples of common distortions, including:
•All-or-nothing thinking (“If it’s not perfect, I’m a failure.”)
•Black-and-white moral labeling (“If I’m not a perfect Christian, I’m a hypocrite.”)
•Overgeneralization (“This always happens… it’ll never change.”)
•Mental filtering (obsessing over the 2% you missed)
•Discounting the positive (“That doesn’t count… it was a fluke.”)

And most importantly: you’ll get practical coaching tools you can use on yourself (or with clients) to start dismantling these thought patterns and step into a healthier, truth-aligned mindset.

This is the first of two episodes where we go deep on cognitive distortions—so make sure you’re subscribed for the next one.

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284. Why You Keep Self-Sabotaging (And How to Stop)