The Polite Goodbye That Kills Momentum

Not all self-sabotage looks like procrastination.
Sometimes, it wears a smile. Sometimes, it says “thank you.” Sometimes, it hides behind aemoji.

I had a clarity coaching call with someone recently. We mapped out an entire roadmap to get her out of fear and freeze:

• Immediate wins: Grow her ceremonies to 15 people.
• Mid-term stability: Package her 1:1 coaching into a starter program.
• Long-term growth: Corporate speaking + Lunch & Learns.
• Daily rituals: LinkedIn outreach, reconnecting with warm leads, and mindset guardrails to stay focused.

In other words: a clear, doable path to clients, income, and impact.

I sent the recap. She replied:

“Thank you for your time and this summary. I’ll be checking these tasks off and continue sharpening my verbiage. I’m sure I’ll see you around sometime. Have a great week! ”

Sounds sweet, right?
But here’s the truth…

One Builds Trust. The Other Breaks It.  

Why This Wasn’t Gratitude,  It Was Avoidance

Checking tasks off → Looks like progress, but it’s busywork. It’s playing safe. It’s hiding behind lists instead of facing the discomfort of visibility.

See you around sometime → A polite way of saying, I don’t want accountability. I’ll disappear into freeze again.

This isn’t bad behavior. It’s the brain doing its job: keeping her safe in the only way it knows how by avoiding change. But “safe” keeps you broke, unseen, and stuck.

The Hidden Face of Self-Sabotage

Self-sabotage doesn’t always shout.
Sometimes it whispers:

I’ll get to it later.

I just need to tweak my wording.

I’m not ready yet

Thanks, but I’ll figure it out on my own.

This is what I call polite sabotage it feels good in the moment, but it robs you of transformation.

The Truth About Momentum

Here’s the secret:
Change doesn’t come from checklists.
It comes from accountability, support, and consistency.

Without those, even the best roadmap gathers dust. With them, even messy action creates breakthroughs.

When I see a reply like this, I don’t see gratitude ,I see the exact pattern that keeps people in freeze. And that’ why I do what I do: to break that cycle.

If you’ve been “checking tasks off” but not seeing results…
If you’ve been saying “sometime” but never committing to this time…
If your smile hides the same fear keeping you stuck…

It’s time to step out of polite sabotage and into momentum with support.

Click here if you’re ready to stop playing nice with self-sabotage and start building real results.

Polite sabotage looks like gratitude but keeps you stuck. Discover how hidden self-sabotage blocks success—and how to break free with support.