What if the only thing standing between you and success is what you believe about yourself? Wouldn’t you shift that belief so that you and success were no longer separated? Of course you would! I know I would! Hard truth: there are self-imposed beliefs that are keeping you from success. These limiting beliefs are holding you back from the things that can bring you the most joy. We need to shift those beliefs.
Limiting beliefs are negative thoughts we have about ourselves or things that are untrue, but we’ve thought them for so long that we actually believe them to be true. Things like:
“If I make too much money, I’ll be greedy.”
“I can’t find a partner because no one will put up with my attitude.”
“I will fail if I start a business, so I’ll just stay in this job I hate.”
These are just 3 examples of beliefs people can hold. These limiting beliefs serve as validation to stay playing small. These beliefs justify why you can’t be wealthy, find love, or have time freedom. If you want to reach things you never thought possible, it’s going to start with shifting your limiting beliefs. Keep reading for 5 powerful ways to shift your limiting beliefs and achieve success that you’re truly worth of!
5 Ways to Shift Your Limiting Beliefs and Reach Success
Identify Your Limiting Beliefs
The first step in shifting your limiting beliefs to reach success is to identify them! This can be a hard step. Because we have these beliefs, we recognize them as truths. Because we recognize them as truths, we may not even notice they exist. Trust me, they do.
Try to think back to situations you’re unhappy with in your own life. What thoughts did you have around those situations? Maybe you spent more money than you should have, so you thought “I’m bad with money”. Maybe you haven’t learned how to stop spending on credit cards, so you thought “I’ll never be debt-free”.
Another way to identify your limiting beliefs is to journal out recurring negative thoughts. Try to ask yourself why you’re having those thoughts. Re-read your responses and pay attention to any self-doubt or discouraging words.
An example could be your thoughts around not finding a committed partner. Statements like “all men cheat” or “humans aren’t designed to be monogamous” are limiting beliefs that need to be identified and shifted.
Reframe Negative Thoughts
Limiting beliefs are so powerful because we believe them! These discouraging thoughts and beliefs become our reality and end up holding us back from going after the things we want most. Your thoughts shape your reality. Shifting your perspective to thoughts that are not limiting, but empowering, can open doors to new possibilities.
I run through a reframing exercise in the 5-day Money Mindset and Manifestation Challenge. Basically, you identify your negative thought or belief and write it down. Then, you counter it with the opposite positive thought or belief.
Here’s an example:
Negative thought: I’ll never save enough money.
Counter positive thought: I can start small and build my savings over time.
You can run this exercise through every negative thought you encounter! It’s such a positive practice and while it may take time to reframe your state of mind, it will be worth the work. Staying consistent with this practice will result in a shift in how you think. To help you stay consistent, use affirmations or visualization techniques to help reinforce positive beliefs.
Visualize Success for Yourself
Limiting beliefs exist because we believe them to be true. If you want to achieve success, start believing you can have it! Visualize yourself having the life of your dreams. What are you doing? What do you look like? How do you feel? What do you have?
Take the time to think about what success looks like for you and then imagine yourself having it. Visualization is a very useful practice to help you reach your goals!
Surround Yourself with Empowering Influences
Jim Rohn said “you’re the average of the 5 people you hang around”. Take a look at the people you spend the most time with. Are they negative? Are they constantly complaining? Do they consider themselves broke, fat, unworthy? If the answer is yes, their influence may be trickling into your own thoughts and perceptions.
This doesn’t just apply to the people you hang around. Audit your entire environment. Who are you following on social media? What reality TV shows are you watching? Make sure that the things you surround yourself with aren’t reinforcing your own limiting beliefs.
Seek out communities, mentors, or content that inspire and uplift you. Join groups or follow accounts focused on financial empowerment (like City Girl Savings). Positive reinforcement builds confidence and momentum toward success. This is especially important when working to shift your limiting beliefs.
Take Small, Consistent Actions
Nothing worth having comes easy. If you’ve struggled with limiting beliefs of a negative mindset, it’s going to take time and work to change that narrative. That’s okay! Take small, consistent actions that will compound over time. Taking action is what combats fear and proves your limiting beliefs wrong.
Here are some examples:
If you believe “budgeting is too hard,” start with a simple tracking app or worksheet.
If you think “I can’t afford to save,” set up an automatic $10 weekly transfer to savings.
If you think “I don’t have time to work out,” invest in a walking pad for your workspace.
Each of those examples are small but will compound over time with consistent action! Make sure you reflect and celebrate your progress along the way. It will help reinforce growth and strengthen your belief in your potential for success.
Related: 5 Tricks to Help You Appreciate How Far You’ve Come
Shifting limiting beliefs takes awareness, action, and persistence, but it’s worth it to achieve your goals. Think back to that question I first asked: What if the only thing standing between you and success is what you believe about yourself? Now that you know the answer, it’s time to be the person who doesn’t let limiting beliefs hold herself back! Start with one small shift and watch the ripple effect!
What are some of your limiting beliefs? How do you plan to overcome them? Drop a comment below to share. Maybe someone can learn something from you!
-Raya
The CGS Team
