Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked flee though no-one pursues and the righteous are as bold as a lion."

The list of how to sabotage your own career is long, much longer than a mere ten. I’ve narrowed it down for practicality and certainly not in order of importance. I chose not to rank them because they will each resonate differently to different people. One may apply more than the rest.

Here is a general list of “The Top 10 Things That Ruin Your Career”:

1. Hating your boss
2. Faking credentials
3. Revealing entrusted information to others
4. Backbiting at work
5. Talking about your pay to others
6. Using toxic humor
7. Making excuses
8. Gossiping
9. Being unavailable
10. Exhibiting job apathy

What would you say is the foundational element to all 10 behaviors?

Look at them again. What prompts someone to betray others, hide away, lie about their abilities, share confidential information, avoid owning the truth and hatred for management?

The answer is fear! Although this format is too concise to dig into its psychology, fear is the seed of all ten actions above.

Did you get the right answer? If this is still too hard to believe, consider these quotes:

“Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruit; thus does a man garner in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.” James Allen, author, As a Man Thinketh, 1902

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions.” Lao Tze , 5th century BC Chinese Philosopher

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi, 20th century civil rights activist, India

“Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.” Soren Kierkegaard, 19th century philosopher and poet

The way we act in our professional life is a direct result of the way we think about what is happening around us. If we hold negative thoughts about a situation, the situation becomes negative. If you want to have a lifelong career impact, start by changing one thought at a time. Take your career to the next level by following the simple yet powerful truth found in a letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:

Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

As you choose to look at every situation, even the ugliest, in the lens of this light, your peace and calm and resilience will be evident to all.

Note: For a much more in depth understanding of this topic, if you haven’t done so already, please download my Thought Tuning™ Guide from the main page of my website at Motivationeer.com by signing up next to the book cover at the top of the page. It’s free and contains more than 20 pages of in depth research and scripture to support this fundamental truth of the gospel.

Shawn Sommerkamp is a motivational speaker and Executive Coach with 20+ years of Fortune 100 leadership experience. He founded Motivationeer™ to coach Christian professionals how to use their career to glorify God and support local church growth.