Kristy is a stay at home mom. She loves being with her kids and not having to send them to daycare. But she feels like she’s lost herself – she’s overweight, doesn’t do anything with friends anymore, and just wants to get herself back and start enjoying life outside of just her kids.
But she doesn’t want people, especially her husband, to think she’s selfish or a bad mom for making herself a priority.
She’d like to lose weight, start working out at the gym, having lunch with friends at least once or twice a month, and have a few hours by herself a few times a month.
So she approaches her husband about wanting to join the gym, lose weight and get healthy. She’s met with resistance from him and he says things like “I like you just fine the way you are, there’s no need to join a gym you won’t stick with it just like you didn’t several years ago, losing weight is hard and remember how you couldn’t stick with it in the past, it’s not going to be any different now.”
She starts internalizing everything he says and begins to realize how right he is and her inner voice starts: ‘I’ve lost weight and gained it back in the past because it was too hard to stick with it. I did waste hundreds of dollars on a gym membership by not using it after a few months. I don’t like committing to anything long-term. She gives up on the idea of joining a gym, getting healthy, and losing weight because her inner voice reminds her that she hasn’t been able to do it and stick with it in the past’. Kristy doesn’t realize it but she’s just accepted a self-limiting belief.
Self-limiting beliefs are the ones that hold you back from achieving your very best in life (and business). These beliefs are often so ingrained that it takes time to learn how to recognize them. Here are some warning signs that what you’re thinking might actually be self-sabotage in disguise.
Self-Limiting Beliefs Are Negative
Self-limiting beliefs are always negative. It’s the voice in your head that lists all the reasons you won’t succeed. You may think negative comments like, “Who are you to do this? Nobody is interested in what you say. You’re too dumb to succeed. Everyone will laugh behind your back if you try to do this.”
You may not realize this but these negative thoughts are often a defense mechanism. You never have to try if you believe that you’re automatically going to fail and if you don’t try, then you don’t have to risk getting hurt or failing.
Self-Limiting Beliefs Paint You as a Victim
Self-limiting beliefs make you think you’re a victim. For example, you might think things like, “Success isn’t in my genes. I’m destined to be a loser. It doesn’t matter how hard I work – I still won’t be able to succeed.”
The problem with these thoughts is that they can convince you that you really are powerless. As a result, you don’t challenge your self-limiting beliefs. You stay stuck in the same place for months or even years, never realizing that the real problem was your mindset.
Recognizing self-limiting beliefs does take time. When you find yourself focused on a self-limiting belief, try to counter it with a positive truth.
Keep doing this and eventually, you’ll notice a shift in your mindset that will lead to a better life.
Need help learning how to recognize the self-limiting beliefs that are holding you back? Download your free workbook today:
And remember,
Don’t ever let anyone dull your sparkle!
