Limiting Beliefs: How are you programmed to fail?

What limiting beliefs do you have that suppress your capacity grow and succeed?  These are hurdles that you place and only you can remove.  Typically, a limiting belief will contain some sort of negative word like never, can’t, impossible, and don’t.  Let’s look at a few potential limiting beliefs:

• I can’t be an executive.
• Why try, I will only fail.
• My co-worker is better than I am, so I won’t get the promotion.
• I don’t have enough money to start a business.
• My colleagues just can’t be trusted.
• If I delegate that task then it won’t get done right.

These running commentaries can make your life miserable–and those around you miserable, too. Shad Helmstetter, PhD., in his seminal work, What to Say When You Talk to Yourself, wrote, “You will become what you think about most; your success or failure in anything, large or small, will depend on your programming–what you accept from others, and what you say when you talk to yourself.”

How can you change your programming?

One way to remove limiting beliefs is to replace them with positive ones. Say and repeat positive affirmations about you, your career, your colleagues, and your significant other. These affirmations will help you develop a positive outlook. Begin today–put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror to remind you of your need to develop a healthy self-talk habit and rid yourself of those limiting beliefs.

This is the first post in a four part series. The next post will address your opinion (or judgment) surrounding an event, situation, or person.