PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Eliminating Self-Limiting Beliefs

t is a new year and what better way I to begin the year by evaluating our belief system. In particular, any selflimiting beliefs that we may carry

and can potentially hold us back from achieving our goals in 2022.

What are self-limiting beliefs? To put it simply, self-limiting beliefs are untrue or wrong assumptions or perceptions that we hold about ourselves and about the way the world works. These assumptions are “self-limiting” because in some way they hold us back from achieving what we are capable of! Limiting beliefs have a way of creeping up on us slowly by slowly over the years and one must make a deliberate effort to be rid of them. The more we believe in these limits, the more they manifest in our lives, thus reconfirming to our minds that indeed these beliefs are true.

However, the opposite can be true as well. If we change our core beliefs to be positive ones, then they will manifest

“...self-limiting beliefs are untrue or wrong assumptions or perceptions that we hold about ourselves and about the way the world works.”

in our lives accordingly! Stephen R. Covey explains this as the SEE-D0-GET cycle. How we SEE things, influences what we DO and thus produces the results we GET. Examples of such beliefs are: -

“I can’t” “ I don’t have time” “I can’t manage”

“I am unworthy of success because of my past mistakes”

“Good things only happen to other people but not to me” “I do not have enough experience or qualifications” “I am not good enough for X or Y”

“Money is hard to come by” “I am not lucky like so and so”

“Because of my background, I cannot be like person Z” “Successful people come from rich families”

“I am not (creative,

ambitious, successful, wealthy..etc) “I do not deserve to be happy” “I can’t because I am not……”

So, how can we eliminate such beliefs? By deliberately changing our mindsets, core beliefs and perspectives through a paradigm shift…a fundamental change in our approaches to life and underlying assumptions about ourselves! We literally need a new lens in which to see life.

Here is a practical way to scrutinize any limiting beliefs we may habor within ourselves.

Start by examining closely at least these 6 key areas below. Feel free to add on to any other area you wish to tackle.

• Goals & purpose e.g. I cannot be X because of X reason or I can never be X no matter how hard I try

• Dreams & Aspirations e.g. My dream to have X is not possible because of X • Financial beliefs e.g. I cannot earn or make X amount of money because of x reason or money is never enough or I cannot afford X • Spiritual beliefs e.g. “No matter how much I pray about x issue, God cannot answer me”

• Physical State e.g. “ I cannot be X because of my (weight, height, looks, size, colour etc)

• Social/Emotional State e.g. “If I do X, I will be judged by the Society” or “I feel the way I do because of X and this cannot change”

• Roles & responsibilities

e.g. “I am not good enough as X because of X factor or reason”

For every limiting belief listed, create a new positive affirmation that will lead to a paradigm shift. Meditate on it, repeat it and believe in it. Putting up a list of the new positive beliefs or affirmations on a wall where one can see them frequently is a great way of having a daily reminder. One can also incorporate these into a daily morning routine (highly recommended) by reciting the new affirmations in order to reinforce them in the mind and heart.

Let’s make deliberate efforts to rid ourselves of self-limiting beliefs and we will indeed experience a complete paradigm shift in our lives. All the best!

About the Author

Victoria is a professional in the non-profit world, a published author and a personal development enthusiast.

“For every limiting belief listed, create a new positive affirmation that will lead to a paradigm shift.”