Recognizing Self-Limiting Beliefs and Habits
Identifying the Negatives that May be Hindering Your Success
Mar 15, 2009
Success is achieved by coming out of your comfort zone, taking calculated risks and going for your goals.
Recurring self-limiting beliefs and habits can stop you in your tracks and discourage you from believing in yourself and your future.
Your unconscious mind is filled with beliefs you have about yourself as a worthy and deserving person. Many of these beliefs were formed in the "growing up" years when you relied on parents, teachers and other role models to tell you whether you were living up to a preset standard of excellence.
Over the years, you’ve been judging yourself against this standard of excellence. The more praise and reinforcement received for certain beliefs and habits, the more these beliefs and habits became a part of your unconscious mind and is now a part of your adult belief system.
Identifying What’s Holding You Back
Self-limiting beliefs and habits can hold you back from achieving your full potential – from living the life of your dreams.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Have I ever talked myself out of going for my goals?
- Have I ever started to succeed and then stopped myself?
- Do I procrastinate?
- Am I a perfectionist?
- Do I believe I am worthy and deserving of success?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may be dealing with some self-limiting habits and beliefs. These negative beliefs and habits can often undermine your personal and professional successes.
To begin identifying specific self-limiting beliefs and habits, ask yourself this question: "When I sit and think about my ability to be truly successful, prosperous and happy, what thoughts come to mind?"Write all of the words, thoughts and phrases that came to mind. Are they mostly positive or negative?
Eliminating the Limitations in Life
You can become more proactive and begin taking control of the thoughts that seem to be fostering and encouraging limiting beliefs and habits. Begin by filling your mind with empowering thoughts:
- Read and listen to books, CDs and other materials that are filled with positive information and empowering suggestions.
- Associate with successful and motivated people who know what they want and are currently going for their goals.
- Eliminate the "dream stealers" from your life – the people, places and situations that seem to reinforce limiting beliefs and habits.
- Become more conscious of how positively or negatively you are spending your time and energy.
- Be aware of your most dominant thoughts. If your thoughts should turn negative, consciously change them into positive affirmations of success, happiness and prosperity.
You have the power to turn negatives into positives when you choose to become and stay proactive with your thoughts and actions. What have you been choosing lately? Are you being limited by outdated beliefs and habits or empowered by the excitement of a successful and empowered future?
Maxwell Maltz speaks on the effect of eliminating limitations in life when he says, "Within you right now is the power to do things you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon as you can change your beliefs."
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