How Do You Identify A Limiting Belief Within Yourself?

The ultimate goal for most people is the realisation and fulfilment of their potential, but the biggest barrier in the path of many people that many life coaches have found is in fact within themselves.

At the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualisation is the drive to be everything you can possibly be, which inherently requires you to believe in your ability to become that best version of yourself.

Conversely, this means that limiting beliefs can be particularly devastating, as they have a potent effect on our capabilities by not even allowing us to see what we could possibly achieve.

What makes them so damaging is that a limiting belief can all too often resemble authentic, plausible life advice, and often comes from the same places and same types of experiences as the types of advice that help make life easier and better.

These are beliefs such as believing you are untalented at a particular hobby or profession due to a bad experience that came from inexperience, or believing after an unpleasant romantic experience that you are unlovable. 

Neither is true, but both feel as authentic as the belief that you should look both ways before crossing the street or wash your hands regularly.

Many beliefs come from childhood, particularly from parental figures and educational institutions as well as formative experiences in other areas. 

This makes identifying and distinguishing a limiting belief complex, and as a lot of limiting beliefs emerge during very early periods of your life, other beliefs have been built on top of them.

A life coach can help you to identify these limiting beliefs, but one of the best ways is to interrogate your belief systems.

Look at a particular part of your life that you wish to improve or feel like you struggle with and write down every belief that immediately comes to mind about that aspect of your life.

When it comes to a hobby, this could include feeling like you cannot afford to do it at the level you enjoy, you do not want to waste money on the tools you need when you do not feel like you will make it worth the investment.

Once you have a list down, ask yourself why you believe this, and see if there are ways you can disprove your own limiting belief or explanations for your initial bad experience.