How To Identify Limiting Beliefs So You Can Uplevel Your Life

You may not realize it, but your thoughts are incredibly powerful in shaping your reality. They can make your life fun, exciting, and joyful, or they can hold you back from reaching your full potential.

Limiting beliefs are thoughts that we believe to be true that hold us back in some way. If you have goals that you just haven’t been able to reach, chances are that you hold some sort of limiting belief around your ability to do so.

But you don’t want to play small. You were put here on this earth to shine and do great things. Which is exactly why it is so important to figure out what these limiting beliefs are and smash them so we can become the best version of ourselves.

Where Do Limiting Beliefs Come From?

Many of our limiting beliefs are formed in childhood. They can come from your parents, teachers, the media, and what others post on social media.

Your self-limiting beliefs could have developed from an unkind remark someone made to you, your perception of the way others react to you, and even your own negative self-talk.

The good news is that these are just thoughts and are not necessarily true. It is possible to identify your limiting beliefs so that you can overcome them and finally create a life you love.

How Do I Find My Limiting Beliefs?

Unfortunately, it can be challenging to identify limiting beliefs because they are so ingrained in your brain and you believe them to be true. But it can be done.

Here are a few ways you can go about discovering what your limiting beliefs are:

Write It Out

Pick a few categories you want to explore (ex: money, relationships, health, parenting, etc.) and then brain dump all of the beliefs you have about each topic.

Once you have made your list, consider if any of these beliefs are holding you back in any way.

Related: How To Journal For Self Care | The Ultimate Guide For Beginners

Examine Your Behavior

Pay attention to the way you act or when you feel triggered in certain scenarios.

For instance, if you walk into the kitchen and there are piles of dishes in the sink, but your husband is sitting on the couch playing with his phone and you instantly start rage cleaning and feeling resentful toward him, perhaps you have the limiting belief that you shouldn’t have to ask for help.

This is a limiting belief because instead of asking for the help you want or need, you get angry at your husband and, in turn, damage your relationship.

Examine Your Recurring Struggles

If you keep falling into the same struggle over and over again, there is a good chance that you hold some sort of limiting belief around it.

Maybe you find is difficult to keep your home clean, or can’t seem to stop yelling at your kids. Whatever it may be, write it down and then write down the beliefs you have pertaining to it and see if they are contributing to the struggle.

Examples Of Limiting Beliefs

I think that moms often have many limiting beliefs that are holding them back from creating a life they love. Below is a list of common thoughts that I have heard from many women.

My Children’s Needs Are More Important Than Mine

• I should play with my kids when they want me to and drop what I am doing
• I’m a bad mom
• It’s selfish to have time just for me
• If I can’t do it all, I’m a failure
• I don’t deserve ___________.
• I don’t have time for________.
• My families needs are more important than mine

Honestly, this list could go on and on. We are so hard on ourselves, and it isn’t serving us in any way. In fact, it has been shown that being kind to ourselves is a more effective way to make sustainable, positive change in our lives.

How To Overcome Limiting Beliefs

Ready to learn how to destroy limiting beliefs and uplevel your life? Follow the steps below.

Pick A Thought You Want To Work On

It is important that you take this one step at a time. It is impossible to clear all of your limiting beliefs in one sitting.

You can pick any thought you want, but if you’re like me, you will want to pick the one that is having the biggest impact on your life.

As an example let’s choose the thought “My children’s needs are more important than mine”. I will walk you through the process of clearing limiting beliefs with this thought.

Ask Yourself Why You Think That

When I ask myself why I think my children’s needs are more important than mine, here is the thought that came up:

“My children’s survival literally depends on me, but I am an adult and I can survive without help. Therefore, because my children need me in order to survive, being a good mom means that I have to put their needs before my own.”

Ask Yourself “How Does This Make Me Feel?”

“It makes me feel both guilty for wanting me time and resentful that I can never have a moment for myself.”

Is The Thought Actually True?

“In some situations, their survival actually does depend on me, but not in all of them. And as my kids get older, they become increasingly independent.”

How Do I Want To Feel Instead?

“I want to love motherhood and enjoy being with my kids instead of being resentful toward them.”

What Thought Would Help Me Feel The Way I Want To Feel?

“My children depend on me, not only for their survival but for their mental and emotional wellbeing. Therefore, they are better off with a mother who isn’t resentful toward them and can support them in all the ways they need. Because they rely on me so much, my needs are just as important as theirs.”

Continue this process for all of your limiting beliefs so you can really start to create the life you want. It is important to note that this is an ongoing process and not something that you do once and the issue is solved forever.

As you go through this process take note of the change it makes in your life. Chances are this will give you the motivation to continue to grow.

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