In this article, I’m going to share 5 limiting beliefs that are hurting your productivity.
No one thinks they have beliefs that hold them back. What if we do, though? Does it even matter?
You probably have some big, lofty goals that you’ve been thinking about for a long time.
Have you ever thought about writing a book? Or begin a new job? Or see the whole world?
No matter what you’re passionate about or where you are in life, it’s likely that these big dreams have always seemed too far away.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not the only one. Everyone has big, vague goals that seem life-changing and appealing but are impossible to reach.
And if you don’t do anything about these big goals, they will turn from goals to regrets over time.
So, can we reach these big goals? They are, of course! Once you decide to start, you have the power to change and realign your life in almost any way you want.
So, what is stopping you? If you’re like most people, you have big goals but don’t do much to reach them. This is likely because you have limiting beliefs.
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What Are Limiting Beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are those we have about ourselves that make us think we can’t do something or don’t have the right skills.
Most of the time, these beliefs come from things that happened to us as kids or later in life, and it’s hard to change them once they’re set.
Often, limiting ideas gets stronger over time. That’s because we tend to find more proof that we can’t do something than proof that we can.
For instance, let’s say you’ve always kind of wanted to write a book but didn’t think you could.
This could be because you didn’t do well in school, tried to write a book a few times but didn’t get very far, and then found that life was too busy to try to start writing again.
As these limiting beliefs are reinforced (usually by what we do! ), we start to think of them as “facts.” And these “facts” become real obstacles that keep us from reaching those high goals.
But limiting beliefs isn’t facts; they’re just mental blocks that you can get past on your way to reaching your goals.
Think about some of the most important goals you have for your life.
Think about why you haven’t done anything to make these dreams come true.
When you think about the things that are stopping you from moving forward, it’s likely that some of them are ones you put up yourself with.
Some examples of beliefs that hold us back
- “I don’t know enough”
- “I’m not good at being creative, math, computers, etc.”
- “I don’t have time”
- “I don’t have the knowledge or skill”
- “I don’t have the will”
- “I’m just not lucky”
- “I don’t have enough money.”
We might know any of the things above. But whether you believe it or not, they are all false.
One of the most important things that really successful people do is be able to ignore or get past these limiting beliefs so they can focus on the work at hand.
They reach their goals by focusing on their work!
But ignoring and not caring about limiting beliefs is not as easy as it sounds.
So, if you’re having trouble getting ahead and you’ve noticed that your own limiting beliefs are a big reason why you can’t move toward your big life goals, consider the tips below.
They’ll help you get rid of these beliefs that hold you back and show you how to move forward toward a better future.
5 Limiting Beliefs That Are Hurting Your Success And Ability To Get Things Done
Belief #1: People think that work only “counts” if it’s paid for.
When you think about all the work you do every day, how much of it do you think you get paid for?
You probably do a lot more work than what you get paid for.
When people talk about “work,” they usually just mean the work we do for which we get paid.
Any “other” work we do, like improving ourselves, doing chores around the house, cooking, or taking care of our families, is not valid or considered “real.”
All of these are things we just have to do. Throughout history, most of the housework has been done by women.
This kind of work was not seen as a job, but rather as the norm for keeping women in the home and keeping with traditional gender roles.
Since there was no pay, any work done in these areas was undervalued and underappreciated.
But who says that running a home is easier than running a business?
Today, most family finances are run by women all over the world (in addition to other responsibilities). Greetings to all of your CFOs!
Even though we have made some progress, we still have a long way to go.
The truth is that women do a lot of work that isn’t always paid for and isn’t always seen as work. Is it true that women don’t get enough credit?
Belief #2: Money is the key to success.
We are taught that success is based on things like our grades in school, where we go to college, how much money we make, how big our house is, how we look and live, etc.
All of these things show the rest of the world how rich we are.
We are taught that having money and wealth is admirable and something to strive for, which makes sense.
Who wouldn’t want those things? We learn that “if you work hard, you’ll get what you want” and that this is the way to be “successful.”
These ideas are backed up by the fact that we are always praised and rewarded for what we do well.
And the focus is on the individual because, in our society, everyone is in competition with everyone else.
In the game of capitalism, it’s too bad that not everyone can “win.” But we all try again and again.
People think that if someone has a lot of money, it’s because they worked hard for it. This is because we’re taught that money is a measure of success.
On the other hand, if someone doesn’t have much money, it’s either because they don’t deserve it or because it’s their fault.
We also learn that if we want or need more money, all we have to do is work harder.
Belief #3: Our job is a big part of who we are.
When you were young, did anyone ever ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up?
If you’re like us, you may have even come up with a few ideas, like a future pilot and ice skater.
Have you ever chosen something, then been told to choose something else?
We’re sure that as you got older, your interests changed, but it’s likely that if you didn’t choose the “right” thing, you were pushed to choose something that was more agreeable and fit with what other people thought you should do.
Adults plant the idea of choosing a career in our young minds, whether they mean to or not. They also teach us their ideas about work and success.
Parents sometimes try to choose the careers of their children based on what they want to do with their own lives.
Subconsciously, we learn that who we want to be is directly related to what we do for a living, and we often feel pressured to choose a “successful” career.
At some point, the age-old question, “What do you do?” coming up. which translates to “What do you do?”
We use this question to introduce ourselves, so you probably get this question a lot.
As adults, we are always asked about our jobs and asked to share this information on social media and even on dating apps. It has become one of the first things people notice about us.
It’s also how other people describe us. How often do you hear someone say, “This is [name]”?
She’s a doctor!”? Maybe most of the time. We then judge people in an instant based on what they do for a living (or lack thereof).
In the end, what they do for work tells us a lot about who they are.
Most of the time, these first impressions are just a reflection of what we have been told about the worth and value of a certain career.
We’ve seen for ourselves how frustrating this idea can be since not everyone loves their job.
Belief #4: Everyone has a “calling.” We must choose one path and stick to it.
In the US, this idea is often taught in schools with the help of vague tests about careers.
You know, you’re destined to be a nurse because you said you liked science.
We are not only pushed to find our call but we are also expected to do everything right to follow it.
Most people go to college right after high school these days, and they are expected to choose a major before they turn 20.
We have to learn. Everybody knows.
What if we don’t, though? What if we think we need to answer more than one call? What if it keeps changing?
Society tells us that we are confused or broken if we don’t know what our calling is.
We are “lost” if we somehow “missed” our calling. If we keep switching majors or jobs, it shows that we are unstable or changeable. If we don’t know, we aren’t on the road to success.
People like us, who have many different interests and passions, are limited by these ideas. In reality, not everyone has just one calling.
Not everyone knows right away what they want to do with their lives.
This can be overwhelming, and when we see other people so clear and sure about their career paths, we may even start to doubt ourselves.
But it’s not a bad thing to know exactly what you want. It’s also fine to be uncertain or to have more than one idea.
Belief #5: Our worth is based on how productive and successful we are.
No matter how much we don’t want to believe it, we are more defined by how we make money than by our character, values, or anything else (even if what we do has nothing to do with who we are!).
People are judged by how much they work, which shows this.
For example, someone with a part-time job might be seen as less hardworking or worthy just because they work fewer hours.
Even being a “workaholic” is better than being lazy. The thing about capitalism is that we have to keep making things.
We always need to be doing something, whether or not we get paid for it.
People think that if we’re not working, we must not be doing anything. And because of this, we’re called “lazy.”
There is a social stigma attached to being unemployed.
People believe that everyone should have a job, so they think that those who don’t are either unwilling to work or aren’t very good at it.
People who can’t work or are out of work, even temporarily, are often made to feel guilty and ashamed.
This makes them feel bad about themselves, embarrassed, and even afraid of what other people will think of them.
We often feel the need to explain and defend ourselves and our lives.
If you’ve ever been out of work, you might know what we mean.
Negative self-talk tries to convince us that we aren’t good enough.
It’s easy to feel like we don’t matter if we don’t have a job. Even if the choice was made with our health and well-being in mind.
How to Stop These Beliefs From Limiting You?
Tip #1: Write down what you think is holding you back and why it’s not true.
Personal limiting beliefs are personality or character traits that you think are a part of you and are keeping you from moving forward.
Things like your intelligence, talents, and skill sets are part of this.
To get past these limiting beliefs, you need to have more faith and confidence in yourself.
Tip #2: Look at the proof of what you believe.
One good way to start getting rid of these self-limiting beliefs is to find proof that they are wrong.
For instance, let’s say you want to lose weight but can’t because you lack willpower.
Well, if you think about it, you’ve probably done a lot of things in real life that show how strong your will is.
You might have shown great self-control when you studied for a test instead of hanging out with friends.
Or when you are late to work. Or when you clean your house in the spring instead of going out to enjoy a sunny weekend.
Tip #3: Write down all the proof you’ve found.
Make a list of these beliefs that hurt you and hold you back, and then make another list of all the reasons why they’re wrong.
When you question these negative ideas you have about yourself and your abilities, you’ll probably find more experiences and examples that show why they’re not true than you can write down.
The third thing to write down is some positive things about yourself and what you want out of life. By doing this, you can change your negative thoughts and start moving toward your goals.
Tip #4: Figure out what limiting beliefs are holding you back.
You can’t solve all of your problems at the same time, but you can work on the ones that are holding you back the most.
So, find the limiting beliefs that are keeping you from moving forward, whether it’s a lack of time, money, or even confidence, and start with these first.
Tip #5: Make a plan
Make a plan for how to deal with these big problems and why they shouldn’t stop you from reaching your goals.
For example, if you want to write a book but don’t have enough time, set aside 10 minutes a day to write.
If you don’t have enough money to start a new business, you could start a small side business while you work or look for other ways to get money.
Putting your problems in order of importance and finding clear ways to get past them goes a long way toward helping you reach your goals.
