Here are five self-limiting beliefs that you need to ask yourself if you have; and, if the answer is yes, there are also ways to change them so that you promote yourself instead of defeat yourself:
#1: “I’m not good enough”
Have you ever felt like you don’t have what it takes to do great things? Like you don’t have the necessary qualities, education, experience, etc.? If so, you’re probably being too hard on yourself.
Very few people start out doing something with complete and total qualifications. Usually it is a case of learning things as you go. Think of your work. You’re more proficient now than the day you started, right? Well, the same is true in all areas of life so don’t count yourself out just because you didn’t start out mastering the skills required.
The key to success isn’t where you begin; it’s what you do to make the end great. As long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort necessary to gain the knowledge and skill you need to succeed, that is all that matters. No one starts out “good enough” but that doesn’t mean that you can’t end up “better than ever”.
Make a commitment to the process and you’ll soon find that you can master anything.
#2: “I can’t do it”
While this one notion has been talked about over and over again, it still deserves being mentioned here. The more you believe that you’re unable to do something, the more you’ll make sure that you’re right.
The only limitations you have are the ones you impose upon yourself. If you honestly think that you can’t accomplish something, your brain wants to believe you so it accepts it as a reality, which is what it eventually becomes.
It’s like a nasty spiral where your beliefs become your reality which become your beliefs and on and on. It’s hard to get out of this whirlwind and change the course of your mind, therefore changing the course of your world.
It’s time to lose this word from your vocabulary because anything is possible if you put your mind to it. That doesn’t mean that it will be a success the first time you try it, though. It just means that as long as you have the desire and the perseverance to keep moving forward, the world is an open door just waiting for you to walk right in.
#3: “I won’t succeed so why even try?”
What if your child was in danger? Would your response to seeing them face their imminent death ever be “I won’t succeed in saving them, so why even try?” Of course it wouldn’t. You would do everything within your power to save your child’s life. Why? Because you want it so bad you can taste it and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to save their life.
The same passion and drive applies to other areas of your life. Certainly, you may not have the same urgency as a life-saving event, but if you tell yourself that failure is not an option then you have to succeed.
Granted, it may not be in the way you had originally planned, but that’s okay. Most great ideas are stumbled upon when you’re actually trying to solve something else, so don’t be afraid of the unintended positive side effects of something that you do. All roads lead somewhere.
#4: “Someone else will do it so I don’t have to”
So many people are afraid to step up to the plate and be the first one to do something. When you’re the “first”, you risk making the wrong choice and facing ridicule from those around you. So, instead of putting yourself out there, it’s much easier to just sit on the sidelines and see what happens.
The problem with this way of thinking is that you’re always a follower and never a leader. You never give yourself the opportunity to do great things because you’re scared to. Certainly, if you never step up to bat then you never have to swing and miss, but you also never get a chance to hit that homerun either.
Be the person that inspires others to act. Step up to help others when no one else does. Remember that you may not always know exactly what to do, but the fact that you even tried makes all the difference in the world to the person on the receiving end; whether you were successful or not is less relevant.
#5: “I’m just one person so it doesn’t matter”
You see this sentiment in everything from voting to helping victims of disasters to even picking up a piece of liter on the streets. “I’m only one person so what I do really doesn’t matter in the big picture of life. I can’t have that much of an impact.” The question is, are you really foolish enough to believe that?
Amazing things happen every day as a result of just one person doing something that no one else would, or could, do. All it takes is one person to save another who is drowning or stuck in a house fire. One person can also come up with a revolutionary new cure to an age-old disease.
A single human being can help another live a life of happiness, spread some cheer or just give words of encouragement. Think about someone in your past that said just the right thing at just the right time for you. Now ask yourself: Did that make a difference to you? Most likely, it did – even though they were just one person.
Don’t let yourself make the excuse that what you do doesn’t matter, because it does. Maybe it isn’t on a global level, but even one on one levels are worthy of pursuing. If it can advance someone else and promote their levels of happiness, then it does matter. It matters to them and it matters to you.
When you limit yourself, you are also limiting the future. Everything you do leaves your mark on this world and helps it become what it is. Do your part and make it the best it can be.
Realize your true potential and the world will be an amazing place – all because you’re in it.
Amazing article, I loved it!!
It helped me a lot, thank you so much :)