3 Ways To Overcome Limiting Beliefs

A limiting belief is a negatively held assumption or thought about yourself rooted in the subconscious mind and negatively impacts decision-making, action-taking, and success. Associated with the negative belief is a judgement about yourself that is often perceived as true and consequently restricts your forward progress in one way or another. Since limiting beliefs can hold you back and impede your success, you must take the time to identify and overcome them so that you can improve your performance and productivity in life and work. So, if you are experiencing negative beliefs in your life or work, here are three ways to overcome limiting beliefs.

Identify your limiting beliefs

The first step to overcoming your limiting beliefs is to identify them. Note that these beliefs often began in your younger years and gradually shaped your thoughts and life as you grew older. Also, negative encounters with relatives, friends, teachers, and the community in which you grew up may all contribute to your currently held limiting beliefs that hold you back.

These limiting beliefs may manifest as fear, impostor syndrome, or procrastination. Other times, they may present themselves through negative self-talk with statements such as, "I am a failure." I'm not good enough." "I'm not smart enough." "I don't have enough experience," or "I'll never be successful." Whenever you notice these negative inner thoughts, write them down. Get a journal and write down these negative thoughts; they will help you gain clarity and see how untrue they are. 

Challenge the accuracy of your limiting beliefs  

After becoming aware of your thoughts and writing them down, the next step is to assess the accuracy of these thoughts. By analyzing these thoughts, you can determine if they come from a place of accuracy. You can challenge their accuracy and falsehood by questioning the evidence supporting the belief. Ask yourself, "Is this a made-up story, or is this a fact?" Challenging the accuracy of your belief may also include recalling times when you achieved success or received positive feedback from someone about your ability or accomplishments.

Getting to the bottom of your limiting beliefs can help you recognize them as disempowering rather than empowering thoughts. Hence, the next time a negative belief enters your mind, take some time to pause and analyze the thought to determine whether it's self-limiting or not. Ask yourself if the idea comes from a fear of the unknown future or a negative experience. Then, challenge it by asking yourself if any concrete evidence supports the belief 

Change your limiting belief

Positive self-talk is one of the best ways to combat limiting beliefs. Positive self-talk is an internal conversation with yourself that consists of affirmations or sentences that boost confidence, promote a positive mindset, build self-belief and help you overcome challenges. In other words, positive self-talk is a conscious act that replaces negative or critical thoughts with encouraging statements about yourself. Hence, replacing "I'm going to fail" with "I'll learn from this and try again" or replacing "I'm not good enough" with "I'm capable of doing this" are examples of positive self-talk that can change your negative belief.

Another strategy for changing limiting beliefs is reframing. Reframing is changing how you perceive or understand the situation from a different perspective. This approach has the potential to dismantle your negative beliefs and provide you with a more productive outcome. Hence, changing "I always messed things up" to "I've made mistakes in the past, but I've also learned from them and grown" exemplifies reframing in action. Consequently, reframing how you look at challenges is a powerful process that trains your mind to see the positives in situations rather than the negatives. 

In sum

Everyone experiences self-limiting beliefs that may have originated from their childhood experiences and have grown with us over the years. So when you experience one, don't let it cause you to give up on your dream, goals or aspiration. The problem is not that you have these limiting beliefs. Instead, the problem is that you refuse to take steps to overcome them. Always remember that if you can change your perspective, you will change your life. Therefore, if you are struggling with limiting beliefs, identify your limiting beliefs, challenge the accuracy of your limiting beliefs, and change your limiting beliefs through positive self-talk and reframing. Additionally, if you want to expedite the process, seeking the professional help of a therapist or a coach may prove useful.