Sabotages near success
Two weeks before the launch or the promotion decision they miss a key meeting, pick a fight with the sponsor, or start a new side project.
Rule out first
Overload near a deadline. Genuine second thoughts about the goal. Outside obstacles that only look self-made from where you stand.
What could explain it
Ambivalence: They half-want it. Ask what changes if they succeed and the answer includes losses: freedom, friends, an identity.
Self-handicapping: The obstacle appears before the test and supplies the excuse in advance ('I barely prepared'). It protects their ability from being judged.
Self-verification: Success would contradict who they believe they are; they seem calmer after it goes wrong.
Harsh superego (inner critic): Unspoken guilt about success: a sense they don't deserve it, or that someone will be hurt by it.
Oedipal dynamics: Success means overtaking a parent or mentor, and the stall comes just as they would pass them.
Repetition compulsion: Same sequence, same stage, several times; they can describe the previous instances themselves.
A next move
Ask them to describe a day a year from now when it has all gone well. Listen for unease, loss, or someone else's face in the picture.
If it’s you
Who would I have to stop being, or leave behind, if this worked?