What do we mean by limiting beliefs?
If you can imagine having invisible blockers inside your brain that act like shields whenever you have a great idea, want to take a risk or just to change something in your life. Limiting beliefs can prevent us from personal growth and success and they are derived from our own personal experiences and present themselves as self-perceptions. These beliefs are our own thoughts that turn into that inner voice, that can sabotage our positive thinking in terms of being able to reach our best potential. These beliefs tell us that we aren’t capable, not good enough, not intelligent enough or that new opportunities are just not for people like us.
How limiting beliefs are formed.
We form limiting beliefs over many years and it is an ongoing process that happens subliminally. This can trace back to our early years and the experiences that we had, for example, how we were brought up, family values, information from teachers and education, our peer group and their actions and thoughts etc. If we continually tell a child that they’re not good at something, they will start to believe this information and subsequently will avoid progressing in that specific thing. So, role models when we’re growing up can either positively or negatively affect how we view the world and in turn will create our own belief system.
Society can also influence our thoughts, including what we read or hear on the news, how our culture behaves and different stereotypes that we adopt. All of this can lead to the development of limiting beliefs and form our perceptions of the world.
How we perceive ourselves also contributes to our limiting beliefs. Self-criticism also plays a huge role. In general, it is a fair assumption to think we are our own worst critic and that we are harshest with ourselves and this can lead to negative self-talk and ultimately self-doubt. If we experience failure or if we have had a bad experience where we have blamed ourselves for something, this can contribute to that inner voice that we all have.
All of these factors culminate in self-perceptions and ultimately limiting beliefs. These self-sabotaging thoughts and underlying beliefs can prevent us from developing and taking advantage of opportunities. This can impact on relationship development, careers, family and home life and can hinder our decision making and rationalisation.
All of us have experienced limiting beliefs at some point in our lives and depending on who we are as individuals, we all manage this differently.
How coaching can help dispel limiting beliefs.
It is important to remember that limiting beliefs are not truths and that they are an assembly of thoughts that we have created based on our own individual experiences. By becoming more aware of these beliefs, ie. working on our own self-awareness, we can begin to unpick the negative thoughts and challenge their existence.
Coaching can help dispel your limiting beliefs by working with you to firstly to identify and understand them and secondly by unravelling them and challenging them. Coaching is a process of making space for self-reflection, learning and making a commitment to change something in your life. Through Coaching, you can explore limiting beliefs with your Coach, who will provide a platform for you to embark on self-discovery and better understand why you think the way you do.
Finally, it isn’t just enough to unpick the limiting beliefs but more importantly, to replace them or change them to more empowering, positive beliefs with an ultimate goal of overcoming your barriers to personal growth and development.
To find out more about how to overcome your own limiting beliefs, get in touch today and make an appointment for a discovery call.