Identify What Is Preventing You From Success with Eben Pagan
Eben Pagan reveals how everyone has an internal 'success prevention department' that keeps them in their comfort zone and blocks breakthrough results. He teaches how to identify and reduce the power of these internal structures that create conflict and prevent reaching the next level.
Teachings 3
Every person has an internal 'head of success prevention department' that actively works to prevent breakthrough results
Eben Pagan identifies that everyone has 'someone inside of you that's heading up success prevention' and notes 'I think they're probably doing a pretty good job of it' based on his observation that 'we all have somebody that does that inside of us'
Internal structures create conflict and friction that must be addressed to reach the next level of success
Eben identifies 'we have structures inside of us that create conflict and create different types of friction' including 'values conflicts' and states 'these things are something that we need to address'
You can reduce the power of success prevention without completely eliminating the protective mechanism
Eben suggests 'maybe we won't fire them maybe we'll just lay them off for a little while and keep a good relationship with them' and 'we want to reduce the power of the part of us that is preventing us from getting to the next level'
Perspectives 1
The part of you that prevents success isn't malicious - it's trying to keep you in your comfort zone and maintain safety
Eben explains 'it's not that that part is really trying to prevent you from having success as much as it's trying to keep things the same way it's trying to keep you in your comfort zone' and 'we want to actually keep that part of us that keeps us safe Keeps Us comfortable'
Quotable Moments 3
“you've got someone inside of you that's heading up success prevention and I think they're probably doing a pretty good job of it”
— Eben Pagan“we want to fire that head of success prevention maybe we won't fire them maybe we'll just lay them off for a little while and keep a good relationship with them”
— Eben Pagan“it's not that that part is really trying to prevent you from having success as much as it's trying to keep things the same way”
— Eben Pagan
How to Fire Your Success Prevention Department
A method for identifying and reducing the power of internal mechanisms that keep you in your comfort zone and prevent breakthrough success
- 1
Identify the Success Prevention Part
Recognize that you have someone inside of you that's heading up success prevention - a part that's trying to keep you in your comfort zone and maintain safety
- 2
Understand Its Protective Function
Realize this part isn't maliciously preventing success but rather trying to keep things the same way and keep you comfortable
- 3
Reduce Its Power Gradually
Don't completely eliminate this part but rather lay them off for a while and keep a good relationship since you want to maintain the protective function
- 4
Address Internal Structures
Identify and work with the underlying structures, interactions, and values conflicts that create friction and prevent you from reaching the next level
Questions Answered
What is the success prevention department in psychology
“you've got someone inside of you that's heading up success prevention and I think they're probably doing a pretty good job of it we all have somebody that does that inside of us”
— Eben Pagan▶ 0:01
According to Eben Pagan, everyone has an internal 'head of success prevention department' - a part of their psyche that works to prevent breakthrough results by keeping them in their comfort zone and maintaining safety.
How do you overcome internal success sabotage
“we want to reduce the power of the part of us that is preventing us from getting to the next level”
— Eben Pagan▶ 1:02
Eben Pagan teaches to 'fire the head of your success prevention department' by first identifying the part that keeps you in your comfort zone, then reducing its power while maintaining a good relationship with it since it serves a protective function.
Why do I sabotage my own success
“it's not that that part is really trying to prevent you from having success as much as it's trying to keep things the same way it's trying to keep you in your comfort zone”
— Eben Pagan▶ 0:32
You sabotage your success because part of your psyche is trying to keep you safe and comfortable in your current situation. This isn't malicious - it's a protective mechanism that creates internal conflict and prevents you from reaching the next level.
What are internal structures that prevent success
“we have structures inside of us that create conflict and create different types of friction and these things these structures or these underlying interactions or these values conflicts”
— Eben Pagan▶ 1:33
Internal structures that prevent success include comfort zone mechanisms, values conflicts, and protective parts of your psyche that create friction and conflict. These underlying interactions work to maintain the status quo even when you consciously want to grow.
How to fire your success prevention department
“we want to fire that head of success prevention maybe we won't fire them maybe we'll just lay them off for a little while and keep a good relationship with them”
— Eben Pagan▶ 1:02
To fire your success prevention department, first identify the part of you that's keeping you in your comfort zone. Then reduce its power while maintaining a relationship with it, since you want to keep the protective function but not let it prevent your growth to the next level.
Summary
The Universal Success Prevention Mechanism
Eben reveals that everyone has an internal 'head of success prevention department' working to keep them in their comfort zone. This isn't a personal failing but a universal human mechanism that's actually doing its job well by maintaining safety and preventing change.
Understanding the Protective Function
Rather than viewing self-sabotage as malicious, Eben reframes it as a protective mechanism trying to keep things stable. The goal isn't to eliminate this part completely but to reduce its power while maintaining the valuable safety function it provides.
Managing Internal Conflicts and Structures
Success requires addressing the underlying structures that create conflict and friction within us. These include values conflicts and various interactions that must be identified and managed to reach the next level of achievement.
Counterpoint
Claim: “There's something wrong with you if you're not succeeding - you just need to try harder”
Reframe: Everyone has an internal success prevention department that's doing its job to keep you safe and comfortable
Eben states 'we all have somebody that does that inside of us' and 'I think they're probably doing a pretty good job of it' - normalizing this as a universal human experience rather than a personal failing
Claim: “Self-sabotage is bad and should be eliminated completely”
Reframe: The part that prevents success serves a protective function and should be managed rather than destroyed
Eben advises to 'keep a good relationship with them because we want to actually keep that part of us that keeps us safe Keeps Us comfortable' while reducing its power over success
Key Points 4
Every person has an internal 'head of success prevention department' that actively works to prevent breakthrough results
▶ 0:01The part of you that prevents success isn't malicious - it's trying to keep you in your comfort zone and maintain safety
▶ 0:32Internal structures create conflict and friction that must be addressed to reach the next level of success
▶ 1:33You can reduce the power of success prevention without completely eliminating the protective mechanism
▶ 1:02Topics
Coaching Strategies
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes