Limiting beliefs are often not only ingrained but can really hold you back when it comes to personal and professional development. Whether these beliefs stem from past experience or cultural conditioning, they can often leave a person believing negative things. “I’m not good enough” or “I don’t deserve success” are common thoughts. These beliefs can create a barrier that makes it difficult to reach their full potential.
Limiting beliefs go beyond simple frustration. They affect how people feel about their own abilities and how they perceive themselves. It is important to be able to recognise these beliefs. By knowing your inner critic, you can overcome them in order to find personal and professional growth.
Common Limiting beliefs
Unfortunately, there are a number of negative beliefs, and at one point or another most people will have struggled with at least one of them. These include:
- I am not good enough: This points to a fear of failure and oftens stops someone from taking risks or pursuing their dreams. This could be true whether this is a belief that you are not good enough for something that is work related or something more personal.
- I am too young/old: Age should not be a barrier for anyone, but we often have self-doubt that age hampers us from succeeding in life or when it comes to changing careers
- I am not smart enough: Underestimating how smart you might be, an inability to learn new skills or obtain and retain new knowledge is common, it is important to have the confidence to work through this.
- Money is the root of all evil: This sort of belief can often hold you back from being financially successful and can result in a financial struggle
How do limiting beliefs impact on personal growth?
When it comes to personal growth, limiting beliefs has various impacts. They can create an unfortunate fixed mindset. It is often all too easy to muddle along in your comfort zone. It’s simpler keeping everything the same and not rocking the boat by trying anything new, learning a new skill, or even making a few simple changes. This can stop your personal development. It keeps you stuck in a rut where you are permanently in a state of self-imposed limitations.
How do limiting Beliefs impact on professional growth
With professional growth, limiting beliefs can also be incredibly damaging. Beliefs such as “I’m not smart enough” or “I am too old/young” can be detrimental. They can stop you from pursuing potential new career opportunities. You will miss out on valuable opportunities that could help with career growth and a sense of professional fulfilment.
How to break free from limiting beliefs
It is easier than you might think to break away from these limiting beliefs that can hold you back. Self-awareness can be incredibly important. Therefore you need to find time in your busy routine to identify those negative self-limiting beliefs that might be holding you back.
You should also challenge your limiting beliefs. Are they true or are they based on unfounded assumptions? Remind yourself what you are capable of and what you have already achieved.
There are a great many things that you should be doing to ensure that you overcome you limiting beliefs so that you can improve your personal and professional growth.
