LIFESTYLE,  Personal Development

Self-Limiting Beliefs: 4 Ways to Kiss Them Goodbye

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Hello Tuesday!

We are all trying to finish this year strong – as well as getting ready for the holidays. It’s a lot, isn’t it?

When you are under pressure, that’s when your mind really starts messing with you…

Your mind is like a soundtrack. It constantly plays thoughts as you go through your day. You might have thought things like, “I’m not good enough to do this. My podcast is going to flop. I can’t write compelling copy like other online business owners. I’m not successful enough to attend a seminar.”

If you’ve ever had thoughts like the ones above, then you’ve dealt with self-limiting beliefs. Self-limiting beliefs are the thoughts that hold you back from going after your business goals and prevent you from creating a life you love.

But don’t think that you have to give in to these thoughts. Your thoughts are under your control. When you take the time to understand how self-limiting beliefs develop, you can gain insight and learn how to change your mental soundtrack.

Mean Remarks Can Lead to Self-Limiting Beliefs

Self-limiting beliefs can stem from harsh remarks from other people. It may have been the teacher that told you that you were a terrible writer, the verbally abusive parent who called you worthless as a child, or a friend who envies your life.

Many people make the mistake of believing that what they have been told about themselves is true. They don’t examine the belief when the words are said. This can cause you to carry around statements about your abilities that simply aren’t true.

Self-Doubt Can Cause Self-Limiting Beliefs

Everyone is insecure and has doubts about their own abilities at some point. Maybe you weren’t picked to work on a web design project you really wanted so you assumed that your designs were terrible. Maybe you applied to be a speaker at an upcoming conference and weren’t chosen.

During times of self-doubt, it’s important to remember that other people’s decisions are not a reflection of you. There are many reasons you may have missed out on the opportunity to work on a project or speak at a seminar that has nothing to do with you. Maybe you weren’t meant to work on that project because a better project is waiting for you. Maybe you weren’t chosen to speak because you’d be needed at another assignment at the same time.

Your Perception of Others Can Lead to Self-Limiting Beliefs

Imagine this: you’re at a networking event. You spot another small business owner in the crowd and you walk toward them. Before you can reach them, they turn away.  You assume they don’t want to talk to you. You might think, “I’m a boring conversationalist. No one’s interested in me. Maybe they can tell I don’t belong.”

Your perception of this person keeps you from reaching out. So, you stick to talking just with people you already know, and you miss out on the chance to build some great new professional relationships.

Learning how to change your mental soundtrack is essential if you want to reach the next level in your business. When you hear self-limiting beliefs, take a moment to consider if they’re really true or if they’re simply lies that you’ve accepted as truth.

4 Important Steps for Releasing Your Self-Limiting Beliefs

The self-limiting beliefs that you hear your entire life shape everything that you do. To identify these self-limiting beliefs in your life, you have to ask yourself why things aren’t working out. Once you’ve defined these troublesome beliefs, it’s time to start releasing them so you can move forward and live the life you’ve always dreamed of living.

Write Down the Specific Self-Limiting Belief

You’ll have to play detective to track your thoughts and emotions to get to your problematic beliefs. Write them down on a piece of paper and look at them. Spend some time noting how strong each one is and what emotions they elicit.

Acknowledge that They are Beliefs and Not Truths

Acknowledging that these are not truths is the hardest step in releasing your self-limiting beliefs. If you have held a particular belief your entire life, it seems like it is real. Understanding that they are not set truths is fundamental. You have the choice to either continue to defend these limitations or let them go so you can begin reaching your goals.

Consider Different Beliefs

Using your imagination, you can consider different beliefs that are more in line with what you truly want out of your life. It might be something like, “Now that I’ve been in an unhealthy relationship, I now know what to look for in a loving and happy partner.” The trick to making this work is going beyond merely saying it. You have to be able to feel how this new belief feels. When you can do this, the first two steps will go a long way to dismantling your current limiting beliefs.

Do Things Differently

Taking this step can be a little bit scary, but in order to release your old beliefs that have been limiting your potential, you have to act as if this new belief is true. If you avoid taking any steps toward your new belief, you’ll merely be feeding your old destructive belief and will continue to fail to reach the goals you set. Making even the smallest step will help to solidify your new beliefs and destroy your old limiting ones.

Allowing your self-limiting beliefs to continue to dominate your life will only continue your disappointment in not being able to reach your goals. Following these steps will allow you to begin thinking in a different, more productive way and eliminating the self-limiting beliefs that have always held you back.

Let’s Have a Positive Week!

Loving Life—The Reboot!

Dominique

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