What’s Your Inner-Conflict? (1/4)

I imagine you know this feeling of inner-friction, also called self-sabotaging behavior, psychological or creative block, or inner resistance. Here are some examples from real life situations, to help you gain clarity on how Inner-Conflict affects your life:

1. Financial Responsibility vs. Intrinsic Motivation:

Scenario: You’ve been diligently working to save money so that you can buy a house. However, you want to resign from your 9-to-5 job, travel full-time and have no pressure to figure out a way to make money that feels good.

Inner Conflict: One part of you is focused on being financially responsible and saving for your long-term goals, while another part is concerned with how depressing it is for you to spend your life doing something “so that” something else, instead of just doing directly what you actually want to do.

2. Speaking Up vs. Avoiding Conflict:

Scenario: During a team meeting at work, a colleague presents an idea that you strongly disagree with. You feel the need to voice your concerns, but you also worry about creating tension or being seen as confrontational.

Inner Conflict: One part of you believes it’s important to speak up and share your perspective to ensure the best outcome for the team, while another part fears the potential consequences of doing so, such as damaging relationships or being judged.

3. Creative Blockage:

Scenario: You’ve been working on a deeply personal art project, whether it’s a painting, a novel, or a piece of music, that reflects your inner thoughts and emotions. The project is nearly complete, but every time you think about sharing it with others, you hesitate.

Inner Conflict: One part of you is eager to create, driven by the desire to express your authentic self and share your unique vision with others. However, another part of you is paralyzed by the fear that once this deeply personal work is out there, people might not understand it—or worse, they might reject it, which feels like a rejection of your core self. Every time you sit down to start, this fear overwhelms you, leading to a creative block where ideas suddenly feel inaccessible, and the blank canvas seems insurmountable. You find yourself avoiding the project, procrastinating, or simply freezing, unable to tap into the creative flow that once felt so strong.

4. Health vs. Ease:

Scenario: You’ve decided to start a healthier lifestyle, including regular exercise and eating nutritious food. However, after a long day at work, you find yourself reaching for junk food and skipping your workout because it’s easier and more comforting in the moment.

Inner Conflict: One part of you is committed to improving your health and well-being, but another part craves immediate comfort, relaxation, and is tired of controlling your impulses.

5. Relationship Boundaries:

Scenario: You have a partner who frequently wants to spend time together, even during your personal hobbies or downtime. While you love spending time with them and enjoy their company, you’re starting to feel like you’re losing touch with your own interests and personal space.

Inner Conflict: One part of you wants to keep your partner happy and maintain the closeness of your relationship, fearing that saying "no" might create distance or cause them to feel unloved. On the other hand, another part of you feels the need to reclaim some personal time for your own activities and self-care, recognizing that you’re beginning to feel drained and disconnected from your own needs. You’re torn between wanting to nurture the relationship and taking care of your own well-being.

The Solution.

The Solution to these inner conflicts is always through understanding both parts of the conflict, helping them understand each other, and finding a 3rd option that works for both, so none of them has to compromise and both of them are satisfied with the solution. Because of that, the solutions that my clients found for their inner-conflicts are not useful to you, but how they found those solutions is.

If you want help to identify and to resolve your inner conflicts you can book a session with me.