Challenge a Limiting Belief About Yourself

“I won’t ever be good at math”
”People like me are never good at [fill-in-the-blank]”

These are limiting beliefs: a thought you have about yourself that holds you back. A limiting belief stops you from growing and being your best self. Everyone has them, unfortunately!

The trick here is to catch our limiting beliefs in action. They’re like a wall made out of fog. We walk by it every day, thinking “can’t go that way, there’s a wall there.” And then one day we notice that the wall does not really look that solid. Then instead of walking right by like every other day, you turn and walk right through it, and begin to go down a path you thought was closed. It doesn’t mean it gets easy right away. Like everything else, it’s all about practice. But once you turn down that new path, through the wall that was never really there, and bring a spirit of openness and practice, you will succeed. It’s just a matter of time and effort.

Getting Started:

Make a list of limiting beliefs. Come on, don’t be shy - you probably have at least 2 or 3. Go for big ones and tiny ones alike. Catch them by noticing your language - “I can’t” - “I’m just not good at” - “I’ve never been able to” - “it’s just my luck” - “other people are much better”.
Choose one. Choose one that bothers you, that makes you feel a sting of frustration or anger. Write this one down.
Label it: Write down next to it something like: “This is a limiting belief. It’s probably not true.
Attach an enabling belief to it. For example, I will improve with practice. It is only a matter of time. An enabling belief is the opposite of a limiting belief. It’s when you trust yourself to figure it out, to learn and grow however you need to.
Make a practice plan. Don’t look for perfection, look for growth from effort. How could you tackle this area where you’ve held yourself back?
Create evidence as you go, so you can see signs of progress
Share your story to make it more real for you and to help others conquer their limiting beliefs