Perfectionism & Performance Patterns
Self-handicapping
Creating obstacles or excuses that protect you from being fully evaluated.
Reviewed by licensed therapists
What it is
Self-handicapping is when you consciously or unconsciously create challenges that undermine your success, especially when you’ll be evaluated. You might procrastinate, underprepare, stay up too late, take on too much, avoid asking for help, or keep things chaotic so that if the outcome isn’t good, there’s an explanation besides “maybe I wasn’t good enough.” It protects self-worth in the short term, but it also prevents you from building true confidence.
Additional resources to explore: CBT can help identify beliefs around failure, evaluation, and self-worth. ACT can help you tolerate the vulnerability of honest effort and make genuine efforts aligned with your values. Coaching or structured accountability can also help if self-handicapping shows up mainly through procrastination or overcommitment.
Tips / how to work on it
The key is to notice the protective excuse before it becomes the story. Ask, “Am I making a genuine effort? Or am I creating obstacles or explanations as to why I can’t be fully evaluated?” Then choose one way to remove the obstacle: start earlier, ask for help, get enough rest, simplify the task, or reduce competing commitments. This may feel scarier because it means your effort is more visible, but it also gives you more honest information about your ability.
A useful exercise: use a genuine attempt plan. Pick one task and define what a fair attempt would look like: enough time, basic preparation, reasonable support, and no intentional sabotage. Afterward, evaluate the process, not just the outcome. The goal is to practice letting yourself try without building in an escape hatch.
More reading
- APA Dictionary of Psychology, Self-handicapping
- Time, The Real Reason You Procrastinate
- Török et al., Promoting a growth mindset decreases behavioral self-handicapping among students who are on the fixed side of the mindset continuum
- Ferradás et al., Associations between Profiles of Self-Esteem and Achievement Goals and the Protection of Self-Worth in University Students
- ERIC, Academic Contingent Self-Worth and Self-Handicapping: Failure Mindsets as a Moderator
Educational, not diagnostic.