Have you ever made a statement like "I can't afford that" or "I don't have time, and I am not strong enough"? These are limiting beliefs; they can confine you and define who you think you are and what you are capable (or not capable) of.
Limiting beliefs are the lies or excuses we tell ourselves that ultimately prevent us from achieving the things we are looking for. The majority of limiting beliefs are subconscious and likely started in childhood when rules and limits were imposed. As crucial as these rules and guidelines were for the success of every human, it was what we made those rules mean to us that shaped how we see the world and ourselves. These limiting beliefs can hold us back from living a whole fulfilled life as adults. While you do not have to adhere to the same standards and regulations as a child or young adult, that does not mean your mind has changed to know any better.
It is your responsibility to do the reflection to recognize and break down any limiting beliefs you may have if you want to accomplish all the impressive goals you have. This article will show you how to identify your limiting beliefs and overcome them so you can achieve greater heights in life.
Identify Your Beliefs
There are a few different ways to identify your limiting beliefs and they all require some personal reflection. It may even be helpful to bring in a close friend or family member to help you identify your limiting beliefs through an open conversation. It can be challenging to identify limiting beliefs, but here are a couple of exercises you can do to help find them.
Make A List Of Your Beliefs
Take time to write down any beliefs you hold that are important to you and influence your everyday life. Then, you can group these beliefs into different categories, like finances, family, relationships, health and personal potential. When you've done this, consider the ones that limit your growth and the ones that help.
Analyze Your Behavior & Thoughts
You can also assess your behavior to identify limiting beliefs. For example, consider situations where you have acted negatively or in unhealthy ways and why you behaved that way. Limiting beliefs may be the underlying cause of your toxic behavior if you examine it closely.
For instance, if you find it difficult to talk about money or a financial situation, you may possess the limiting belief that money or conflict is terrible, which makes having difficult but necessary conversations regarding budgeting, retirement, and general finances in life. Consequently, causing relational conflicts when money is involved, e.g., marriage and business.
It may also be an excellent time to bring in a trusted individual to help you identify your limiting beliefs during this analyzing process. For instance, watch where your inner dialogue goes when someone compliments you. Is it gratitude or distrust? If it is distrust, there is most likely a limiting belief looming in the corner of your mind. Analyze that moment and see if you can figure out the limiting belief and what new, more positive mantra can replace it.
Where Are You Repeatedly Challenged?
Think about times when you repeatedly struggle. Perhaps, you never have luck in romantic relationships, or you procrastinate consistently when a specific task needs to get done. These challenges may indicate a limiting belief. Whenever you write down an area of challenge, take note of which of your thoughts may be holding you back. In other words, if you're constantly struggling to squeeze in a workout, find out what you think about health and wellness and how accessible it is for you. What is the limiting belief, the consistent excuse, or the lack of confidence preventing you from achieving this goal?
Applying Change to Break Down Barriers
To start letting go of limiting belief, we need to let go of certainty. As humans, we love stability, comfort, and certainty. However, certainty can also hold you back. It's what prevents you from leaving unhealthy relationships, starting that business you want to have, traveling to that far away place that intrigues you, and keeps you from quitting that job you hate. Certainty can be a dream killer. Combining certainty with limited beliefs will keep you stuck in unhappiness and unfulfilled for a very long time. So let's start with killing certainty and then change those limiting beliefs.
Once you understand that certainty needs to go, it's time to start changing self-talk. More often than not, negative self-talk tells you why you can't achieve your goals. Unfortunately, self-talk is constant, and we must switch out negative self-talk with positive, life-giving, empowering thoughts. Once you identify your limiting beliefs, choose a new empowering belief to replace them. Then, apply this new belief whenever you feel the only limiting belief creep up. Doing this will create a new habit of thought and slowly change your mindset and eliminate limiting beliefs over time.
It's in our nature to avoid pain and be on alert for danger constantly. Everyone struggles with negative beliefs at one point or another so you aren't alone. If you need extra assistance identifying negative beliefs and working on different ways to reframe and create positive affirmations for yourself, I can help! Reach out to schedule a consultation with me and I can help!
-Jess