Very interesting read. I have to admit that I have been guilty of this self handicaping on more than one occasion. The self illusion of being able to achieve great things if you just put in the time is very difficult to overcome. To me I believe that the difficulty comes from a mix of complacence & fear of discomfort.

One thing that still bugs me to this day, is why this types of issues seem to be more prevalent in the software industry than anywhere else. Has anyone have an idea as to why this is?