Do you know what limiting beliefs are stopping you from achieving your goals? We all have limiting beliefs. And until we learn how to spot those limiting beliefs and reframe them, those subconscious beliefs will dictate the life we’re able to create. Luckily, reframing limiting beliefs is a simple and powerful process you can start applying to your life today.
What Are Limiting Beliefs?
A limiting belief is a core belief that you picked up (usually in childhood) that limits what you believe is possible. These beliefs can be formed in a number of ways regarding any topic you can think of. For example…
If, when you were a child, your primary caregiver scolded you when you cried, you may have formed a belief that outwardly showing your emotions is bad. Now, you struggle to express emotion openly and vulnerably.
If, while growing up, you often heard your parents say “money is the root of all evil”, you may believe that having money makes people bad. Now, you may find that no matter what you do, you always feel like you struggle to make “enough” money.
If your parents had a toxic or dysfunctional relationship, you may believe that relationships are inherently difficult and cause pain. Now, you may have a hard time finding supportive, nurturing, safe relationships.
As a child, if a parent or teacher sees your love of art but encourages you to pick a more practical career, you may believe that it’s not possible to make money as an artist. Now, you may ignore your desire to create and feel dissatisfied in your career.
The tricky part is most limiting beliefs are passed down to us, either intentionally or unintentionally, with the goal of keeping us “safe”. However, that view of safety is often skewed.
And to complicate matters even more, the limiting beliefs we picked up are most often subconscious thought patterns that we aren’t even aware of. But from this unconscious state, they direct our behavior and the way we respond to the world.
How To Spot Limiting Beliefs
Admittedly, spotting limiting beliefs is sometimes easier said than done. It requires us to slow down and start noticing the thoughts running through our minds. Becoming aware of our thoughts is the key to any mindset shift but it’s not a habit most of us have. In fact, it can feel downright uncomfortable.
Anytime a situation arises that makes you think something like…
“I can’t…”
“I’m not…”
“I never…”
“I always…”
Those are good signs that what follows is a limiting belief. Start noticing when thoughts like that come up for you and just try to be curious about them. Don’t judge them or yourself. Simply notice the beliefs that are running in the background of your mind.
Another easy way to practice spotting limiting beliefs is to do so intentionally.
Journal Prompt
Take an area of your life where you feel the most resistance, struggle, or dissatisfaction. Then, simply ask yourself “What do I believe about ___________?”
For example, if you feel a lot of dissatisfaction around your career, ask yourself “What do I believe about careers?”
Answers might include beliefs about how much you’re supposed to work; how hard you’re supposed to work; how much you’re supposed to make; what types of careers are “appropriate” and which aren’t; whether or not you’re supposed to enjoy working.
Once you’ve identified some beliefs that you think are blocking your happiness, you can start to reframe them.
3 Steps To Start Reframing Limiting Beliefs
Learning how to reframe limiting beliefs is fairly straightforward. And with some practice, it’ll become second nature. Eventually, you probably won’t even need to journal through the process because you’ll start reframing limiting beliefs on the fly.
First, write down all of the limiting beliefs you can think of. These can either be limiting beliefs that come up for you regularly while you’re out living your life or they can be limiting beliefs around a specific area of dissatisfaction in your life. As you write these down, leave several lines of space between each one.
Next, go back to each one and ask yourself “Is this true? What evidence do I have that this is a false belief?” Write your answers below each limiting belief.
Finally, for each limiting belief, write an uplifting, true statement that disproves the limiting belief.
A Tip For Writing Affirmations
Here’s a key tip I’ve learned when coming up with a new affirmation that reframes a limiting belief: make it TRUTHFUL and BELIEVABLE.
You can’t flat-out lie to your subconscious brain.
For example, let’s say you have a limiting belief that you don’t have enough time to do the things that you love. If you try to use the affirmation “I have all the time in the world”, your subconscious is going to hear that and think “Hah, yeah, right.”
But, if you use an affirmation like “I choose how I spend my free time and prioritize the things that are important to me”, well, show me the lie, right? That is a factual, positive statement that won’t cause dissonance between your conscious brain and your subconscious beliefs.
Becoming aware of your limiting beliefs helps you to stop unconsciously making decisions in life based on these limitations. It puts you back in the driver’s seat of your own life and helps you take radical responsibility for the direction of your life.
Want to take this to the next level? I’m releasing the “Your Lit-up Life” workbook that walks you through the 7-step process that helps you get clear on what you’re passionate about and create a plan to bring those passions into reality. Enter your email address below to get a special discount when the workbook launches.
