Learning to Get Out of Your Own Way 

By Mollie Hoffman
Senior Process Engineer, Medical division of PLACON. 

Recently, I had the pleasure of leading a series of rewarding discussions around The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery, a book by Brianna West. The event was part of an ongoing series hosted by the FLiP Book Club—a development initiative of Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP), the Plastics Industry Association’s group for young professionals. 

As a participating member of FLiP, I’ve found the program to be extremely rewarding. It has allowed me to network with other professionals throughout the entire supply chain of our industry. I’ve enjoyed opportunities to hear from other professionals under 40, like me, who care about our companies and our industry, and who want to grow through interpersonal exchanges and exposure to advanced expertise. It’s an important benefit for employees of any PLASTICS member company. 

I hadn’t heard of West’s book and was somewhat wary of the self-help genre but ended up being pleasantly surprised. She offers good advice on how some people get in their own way on the path to success. 

In fact, because of the amount of content book, we decided to break it down and focus mostly on those aspects that resonated most with us at this stage in our careers. Here’s what I learned about among some of the self-sabotage warning signs we discussed: 

• The need to be constantly busy. The perception of always having to prove oneself as a relative newcomer unnecessarily adds to existing stress. 
• Downplaying success. Deflecting praise and not taking the time to savor success or recognize your own good work can be as damaging as being prideful about it. I experienced this when I finished my master’s degree during COVID. I couldn’t walk at graduation, because there was no ceremony which was a big deal, and because of the COVID atmosphere, I couldn’t celebrate. So, it felt like it wasn’t a big a deal. 
• Procrastinating about important matters. When it comes to a big project or big presentation, we can detrimentally divert our attention with lesser issues. Personally, I have a hard time starting things I know might take me days or weeks to finish. I prefer projects that might only take an hour or two. I can procrastinate a lot on things I think may take more time than I actually have. For other people it can mean not preparing well because your approach is too scattered, trying to cover too many bases, and letting a desire for perfection keep you from simply being effective. 
• Surround yourself with the right type of people. This isn’t so much a warning sign as it is advice we felt reverberated through both our professional and personal lives. It includes recognizing the wrong type of people and letting them go. Perhaps there’s a colleague or friend who drags you down through negativity. Distancing yourself and not taking opinions or criticisms too seriously can be very productive. 

Making the most of now 

In the very last chapters, West writes about how to truly enjoy life. The primary concept we discussed from those ideas was to stop trying to be happy and just allow yourself to be happy: 

• Focus on what you enjoy. Identify what you enjoy about your job and put more emphasis on those areas rather than things you don’t enjoy or that weigh you down. 
• Live in the present. Don’t dwell on things that have already happened or worry too much about what might happen. Do your best right now, in the moment. 
• Allow what you can’t control. Control what you can and let go of what you can’t. 
• Let yourself be happy. This connects to the previous idea about downplaying success. It’s not healthy to prevent yourself from enjoying your wins. Even if you don’t have the time or inclination to celebrate in the moment, acknowledge your accomplishments later.  

Moving gradually toward productivity 

There are some important ideas included in this book worth mentioning. One was about the use of “micro-shifts” in goal setting. What small change or small habit can you start today that will help you towards a goal?  

We used housework as an analogy. Cleaning your whole house can seem daunting, but if you start with just one room, one closet, or one dresser and add one small thing every day, eventually your whole house will be organized.  

This ties back into procrastination. If you have a big project, a lot of it looks daunting. West’s advice is to start with something small. Find one small thing you can do today to get the ball rolling, working your way up to the bigger challenges. 

People aren’t watching your every move 

Another important point is that people are more self-centered than they think, dwelling too much on things that are embarrassing, that we wish had gone differently or how they are viewed. But do you really spend time thinking about other people’s mistakes? Likely not. Everyone is in the same boat as you, more worried about themselves than about your mishaps or embarrassing moments. 

All in all, The Mountain Is You is well worth the read. And being a member of FLiP is well worth your time. If you’re a young plastics professional at a PLASTICS member company, I recommend getting involved right away.  

PLASTICS and the Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) Committee are devoted to supporting and encouraging the next generation of plastics leaders who will play a crucial role in the innovation, technology and future of the plastics industry. FLiP’s mission is to provide young professionals under the age of 40 the exposure, education and resources they need to build lifelong careers in plastics. Want to join? Want to get your employees involved?  Email: flip@plasticsindustry.org