Five Limiting Beliefs to Flip The Switch on Today
I CAN’T
This job, this opportunity, this situation is too big for me. I am not up to the task and I simply can’t do it.
There’s good news here: if you were not capable of doing a job that you have been entrusted with, the people who hired you or the clients who trust you would not have taken a risk on you. Companies and clients express their confidence in us by investing their assets, their opportunities, their connections, their networks, and much more.
To practically tackle this limiting belief, figure out your best first next step. Choose *one* thing that you know you can do, like sending an email, making a plan, or creating a social post. Take one step, and then let that first step guide you. When you break down your huge, monumental goals and responsibilities into smaller tasks, you may find that deep down inside, you really do know what to do next. And then, take a step after that. Keep taking small steps until you realize that you’ve almost completed a project, and you prove to yourself that you really could do it, all along.
I DON’T BELONG
Everyone here knows more than me, is more capable than me, and is better prepared than I am. I don’t belong here and I will be found out sooner than later.
To overcome this limiting belief, take some time to yourself to acknowledge all of the things that you do know and are capable of. Write down what you know about your field of work and your specific position. Allow yourself to make a realistic assessment of where you stand and if it isn’t where you’d like to be, then give yourself permission to pursue more knowledge in the areas you aren’t comfortable with. However, I do believe that you may be surprised at what you come up with.
Does this exercise make you feel stumped? No worries! Here’s where you can phone a friend. Someone who cares for you and makes you feel comfortable is an excellent candidate to help you really nail down your expertise.
I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Even if I try my very best, it won’t be enough.
People around you admire qualities that you may be oblivious to. They see ways that you excel and shine that you might overlook because they come easily to you. The beauty of having specific talents and gifts is that when we really hone in on those skills, we benefit ourselves and each other. You’re operating in your zone of genius and people benefit the most from you when you lean heavily into what you’re good at. That means that if you have the gift of being strategic, you can use that skill to help your company make wise plans to benefit its future. If you have a gift of loving people well, you can lean into that gift to encourage others when they get discouraged. If you have a gift of leadership, you can help to guide others in discovering their own potential.
To overcome the limiting belief of not feeling that you are good enough, remind yourself that you are standing in a space that was built on hard work, education, experience, and sacrifice. You didn’t just walk into the room you’re standing in without earning it.
I AM UNWORTHY
I’m here by some fluke. I don’t deserve to be here and I’ll never be as good as everyone else.
Here’s the good news: your worthiness cannot be earned. There is nothing about what you have done or will do, that can increase your worthiness. I will admit that this is a concept that I have struggled with personally. It is difficult to *rest* in my inherent worthiness. The joy of this concept is that we all are worthy. Every minute that our breath fills our lungs is another minute that we are worthy because of who we are uniquely created to be.
To overcome this limiting belief, repeat to yourself that your worthiness cannot be earned. This short, powerful statement is a strong reminder that there is nothing that you can do, that will be able to add to, or take away from your worthiness.
Your failures do not affect your worthiness. Your mistakes do not affect your worthiness. Your lack of knowledge or ability in a particular area does not affect your worthiness. Just like there is good news that your worthiness cannot be earned, it would also stand that your worthiness cannot be lost. It simply is. It is who you are. It is all that you are meant to be. You, my friend, are worthy. Right here. Right now.
I WILL BE REJECTED
I will be found out and thrown out. No one will like or accept my ideas, my perspective, or my input.
Rejection is painful. It feels vulnerable because it implies a desire on your part that is not met. Webster Dictionary defines the word reject as: “to cast off”. At our core, we want to be cared for, accepted, and to be understood. Rejection flies in the face of all of our basic desires, and when we have a fear of being “cast off”, it can take root in our deepest parts.
To flip the script on this limiting belief, ask either yourself or a trusted friend this question: “What will happen if my worst fear comes true?”. Ask it again and again until you have reached a foundational answer that speaks to your biggest fear.
What will happen if I am found out?
What will happen if I am not accepted?
What will happen if I am thrown out?
Most likely, when we dig deep into a fear of rejection, we can get to a core issue that is driving our fear. If we are able to identify for ourselves what we consider to be the worst possible outcome, we are able to understand that the likelihood of that fear becoming reality is lower than we thought. If you feel that you need additional support in this area, I recommend seeing a local therapist or booking a coaching call with Happy Teams.
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