So many of us get held back in our personal and business lives by our self-limiting beliefs.
But the thing about those beliefs is – we get to choose them, and we can choose positive, empowering ones, or limiting, negative ones.
Here are just a few of the common lies we tell ourselves on a daily basis:
“I’m not clever enough to run a business”
“I’m too young and no-one will take me seriously!”
“I’m too old and everyone will think I’m past it!”
“I’ve not got the time to get my business going.”
“There’s no point in starting a business when there’s already companies doing the same thing.”
And the list goes on!
But do you know how your beliefs are impacting you?
Here’s how they work:
Thoughts > Beliefs > Mindset > Actions > Results
So, if you want to see different results, you’ve gotta start with changing your current beliefs.
Let’s dive into some of the biggest self-limiting beliefs that hold us back in business.
“I’m afraid to fail”
Nobody has a desire to fail. But the thing about starting or running any kind of business is it’s risky. If you want to play it safe, go get a normal 9-5 and quit whining about it. Otherwise, step it up, face your fears, and give things a go.
After all, you’ll never know what might happen if you don’t even try. Almost all successful business owners will openly tell you how they’ve experienced failures along the way to success because that’s how you learn and improve things the next time around.
Try and see failure as the growing experience it’s meant to be. And what’s the worst that can happen if you do fail? Chances are, you’ll be okay and the world won’t end.
“I wish I was more confident”
Lack of confidence holds so many people back in all areas of life, including business. Running a business requires you to lead people, to give talks to investors or teams, sell your products or services, and inspire people around you.
Running a business requires a great deal of confidence because you will be stepping out of your comfort zone often. You’ll be doing things you’ve never done before, and you’ll be learning new skills as you go.
Low self-confidence begins within. Believe that you can master the art of confidence because if you want to grow an amazing business, you’re going to have to get out of your old ways and become someone who is capable and confident.
“It needs to be perfect”
Perfection is your enemy. Nothing needs to be perfect before you unveil it. The truth is, if you’re waiting until your product is perfect, you’ll never show it to anyone, and it’ll probably die a slow death in one of your journals somewhere, along with all your other great ideas.
You need to make sure your offering is high quality, yes, but don’t wait for it to be perfect. The quicker you get it out there, the quicker you can get valuable feedback from the market and begin improving it.
“I’m not as good as my competition”
Human beings like to play the comparison game. We look around at all the “successful” people around us (whatever that means), and we compare ourselves to someone who is at a completely different point in their journey.
And the reality is, most people don’t talk about their failures, their mistakes, or their lows. Most of us only see other people’s highlight reels – especially since the launch of social media.
It’s natural to feel like you might never reach the same level of success as someone else, but a lot of the time it’s because you’re comparing yourself to someone who is already well-established.
Focus on yourself and your own journey, and forget what anybody else is doing.
Many of our self-limiting beliefs – when it comes to business – are tied to money.
Have you ever thought:
“We can’t raise prices otherwise we will lose customers.”
“The only way past a cash flow problem is to cut our salaries.”
“I can’t see a way to grow our firm past X.”
There are self-limiting beliefs at play here.
You doubt that your customers see the value in your offerings.
You only see barriers to your growth, not solutions.
So many business owners are afraid to price their products or services too high, out of fear that the market will reject it. This leads to a lot of underpriced goods and services, which often leads to businesses attracting unsuitable customers for their offerings.
Do your research, and get to know what other businesses are charging for similar offerings.
How to overcome your self-limiting beliefs
- Take a break, and find a quiet spot to think and be still. Take a few deep breaths, and think about why you started/want to start this business in the first place. What’s your why? Write it down.
- Think of your 3 biggest limiting beliefs when it comes to your business. Write them down.
- Does each belief help or hinder you from achieving your goals, and building your business?
- Is your why big enough to get you past those limiting beliefs?
- Write down what these beliefs will cost you and your business in the future if you don’t transform them?
- Now, rewrite these beliefs so that they are empowering, positive ones, that will help you succeed in your business.
Pay attention to your self-talk
There are a number of other ways you can send positive messages to yourself on a daily basis, which will help shift your thoughts and therefore your actions. These include:
- Working with a coach
- Practising gratitude
- Seeking out new knowledge from books, videos, and podcasts
- Journaling
- Letting go of what you can’t control
- Asking yourself what’s the worst that could happen in any given scenario
Help yourself!
If you don’t want to be one of those many businesses that fail within the first 1-10 years, then you’ve got to be exceptional. This begins in your mind.
You will encounter so many obstacles, setbacks, and failures along the way, but shifting your mindset will help you move past those blocks and get to where you aim to go.
The only people who succeed in business are those who believe they can.
To learn more about how to overcome self-limiting beliefs, book a discovery call or contact us at 1300 459 302 and get one on one advice from our business experts here at UpCoach.
