Have you ever made a statement that you can’t do something or you don’t have time? Of course, you have. I know I have. We all have those thoughts, and they are known as limiting beliefs. These beliefs incorrectly define your limitations.
They are the excuses we make, or the lies we tell ourselves. They are the exact things that stop us in our tracks. There several types of limiting beliefs. Today, I am going to talk generically about them rather than getting into the specifics of each one. However, it is important to note that many, if not all, start in somewhere in childhood. They are usually a subconscious belief that you learned over time from your parents, society or past events. They hold us back from living the life we are intended to live.
While you may not be fully responsible for your creating your limiting beliefs, it is your responsibility to recognize and break them down. So how can you identify your limiting beliefs?
Make A List of Your Own Belief: Write down what you think you believe and what influences how you live your life. You can group the beliefs into categories, such as relationships, family, finance, health, etc. Which of the beliefs are holding you back? An important step for me was to ask myself “Is this what I believe or what someone said i should believe?” We live in a world where everyone thinks we should think like them, so it is so important to know if these beliefs align with who we are.
Analyze You Behavior: Your actions will tell you a lot about your belief system. How do you act under stress? How do you act when no-one is watching? If someone mistreats you, what are your automatic thoughts? If something is hard, what do you tell yourself? Your inner dialogue and automatic thoughts are going to reveal so much important information.
Be honest with yourself when you analyze your behavior. This may be a good time to speak with someone your trust, a friend, counselor or coach to get assistance in identifying and analyzing your limiting beliefs.
As you are analyzing these limiting belief, see how you might be able to refrain the beliefs into something propels you rather than holding you back.
Where are you repeatedly challenged? Think about the areas of life where you have continuous challenges, such as relationships or finance. As you encounter these challenges, write down those thoughts that come to mind. For example, if you are always struggling to find time to workout, what are your thoughts surrounding health and your accessibility to it. What is the excuse or issue that prevents you from showing up?
Now you have identified those thoughts, what do you do about? Many times our limiting beliefs are tied to lack of control and wanting to be certain. We crave stability, comfort and safety. However, in order to achieve our goals, we must expand our comfort zone. People always say set out of it. My coach, Athena used to tell me expand your comfort zone. It is easy to step back into it, but when you expand it, the hard things become natural. By expanding your comfort zone, you can now start to change your inner dialogue. You can switch the negative self-talk with empowering, life-giving thoughts. Once you change your thoughts, apply the beliefs whenever you feel the limiting beliefs creeping back. Over time, your mindset will change, new habits will form and you will no longer be held by the same ole limiting beliefs.