10 limiting beliefs and how to overcome them

A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that limits you in some way. Everyone experiences limiting beliefs, but if you learn to recognize them, you can proactively prevent these beliefs from limiting you. In this article, we'll go over how limiting beliefs affect everything from teamwork to workplace culture, as well as four strategies for overcoming limiting beliefs in the workplace.

Have you ever thought to yourself, I'm not good at something and therefore I should avoid doing this thing? These beliefs often come from an environment of negativity and fear that keeps us from taking advantage of new opportunities.

If you have had similar thoughts, you aren't alone. Many professionals and even entrepreneurs struggle with self-limiting beliefs that can prevent potential success. The key is to learn to recognize limiting beliefs in order to overcome them.

When it comes to teamwork, limiting beliefs can impact everything from culture to overall performance to team effectiveness. We've compiled 10 of the most common limiting beliefs and show ways you can overcome them on a day-to-day basis.

What are limiting beliefs?

A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that limits you in some way. These beliefs are often false accusations you make about yourself that can have a number of negative consequences.

For example, if your limiting belief is that you're bad at giving inspirational speeches, you're likely to reject any opportunity to share your knowledge with others in a group setting. Or if you have to speak in front of other people, you may think you're more likely to fail. This is because you have preconceived notions about your speaking abilities that limit your potential.

Limiting beliefs can also keep you in a negative state of mind that prevents you from pursuing new opportunities and life experiences, and negatively impacts your mental health. That's why it's so important to not only work on your self-perception and self-esteem, but also to recognize unconscious biases. Holding prejudices about others hinders your ability to collaborate effectively, which ultimately affects the quality of your work.

How limiting beliefs affect team success

When it comes to limiting beliefs in the workplace, negative thoughts can affect both creativity and team morale. Imagine working on a new process, but not believing in yourself enough to propose a better solution to the problem. The result will certainly not be innovative.

When you lead a team, you can help your team members overcome their limiting beliefs to unleash their creativity and commitment. Holding on to these negative beliefs can prevent individuals from thinking outside the box and coming up with new innovative ideas. Nothing inhibits a team's success like reusing old ideas.

It's in these adventurous moments that real growth occurs, and it's important that each team member believes in themselves enough to push beyond their limits. That's why it's so important to encourage positive thinking in the workplace to empower your team to do and give their best.

Limiting beliefs are any self-deprecating thoughts that prevent you from developing as a person. From verbal beliefs to body language and defense mechanisms, knowing the most common limiting beliefs will help you recognize them when they occur. 

Examples of limiting beliefs

To work on self-improvement in the workplace, here are 10 common examples of limiting beliefs that you can recognize and correct immediately:

I'm not good enough: "I'm not good enough to lead this project."
I'm too old or too young: "I'm too young to be a leader."
I don't have enough time: "I don't have enough time to invest in myself."
I'm not smart enough: "I'm not smart enough to lead this meeting."
I don't have enough experience: "I don't have enough experience to make this big career move."
I'll never be successful: "I'll never be successful in my industry."
I don't have enough money: "I don't have enough money to enjoy my life."
I'll never be one of the best: "I'll never be one of the best on the team."
I'm not talented enough: "I'm not talented enough to get promoted."

I'll never be a good leader: "With my lack of confidence, I'll never be a good leader."

These beliefs originate in fear, and everyone has them. The goal is to learn how to recognize and combat limiting beliefs so they don't prevent you from getting out of your comfort zone.

You may be tempted to tell yourself that you aren't good enough or will never be good enough to protect yourself, but ultimately these beliefs prevent you from empowering yourself and your team to be the best they can be.

The trick is to recognize your own limiting beliefs when they arise, and use that recognition to reshape the way you think about yourself. You can also improve your team management skills by encouraging your team to do the same.

What causes limiting beliefs?

Limiting beliefs are caused by a number of factors, but they all have the same origin: your brain's desire to protect you from pain in the future. Triggers can include fear, impostor syndrome, and past experiences. 

Often, limiting beliefs begin at a young age and continue to evolve throughout your life as you have new experiences. Whether you have had a painful experience that has caused you to fear similar encounters or you're afraid of what is to come, limiting beliefs can prevent positive new beliefs from forming.

When you know the cause of your limiting beliefs, you can understand the thought process behind them and begin to manage them. In addition, there are a number of techniques you can use to overcome your fears in the workplace.

Explore the connection between burnout and impostor syndrome
How you can overcome limiting beliefs in the workplace

If you're able to identify self-limiting beliefs, you can correct them in the moment, but overcoming them will take time and practice. When it comes to how you can overcome these fears in the workplace and how you can teach your team to do the same, there are a few tips that can help.

How to overcome limiting beliefs in the workplace
Whether you use one of the four methods or a combination of them is up to you, but any of these techniques can help you overcome limiting beliefs in the workplace.

1. Identify your beliefs and write them down

The first step to overcoming your limiting beliefs is to identify them. Often, these beliefs are more of a thought in your head than something you say out loud. By writing these thoughts down on paper, you can distinguish them from fact and fiction and see how untrue they really are.

Writing down your thoughts in a journal can help relieve the stress associated with believing them. You can also ask yourself if this thought is relevant to the next 10 minutes of work. If not, close your journal and leave your negative thoughts on the piece of paper.

Even though this exercise is done individually, you can encourage your team to do this every morning. You can also convene a weekly meeting where team members share their limiting beliefs with their colleagues if they feel comfortable doing so. This gives team members an opportunity to build confidence. Make sure, however, that this experience is completely voluntary - and plan to attend yourself to set a good example.

2. Assess accuracy

If writing down your thoughts isn't enough, it can be helpful to analyze whether your beliefs are right or wrong.

By getting to the bottom of your limiting beliefs, you can recognize them for what they really are. The next time you have a negative belief, take a moment to pause and analyze the thought. Check to see if it's self-limiting and if there is concrete evidence to support your belief. Ask yourself if the thought comes from fear of the unknown or from a past experience.

Perfection can negatively impact your productivity and cause you to give up when something doesn't go perfectly. One way to counteract this is to enlist the help of your team members and ask them for feedback. If you're not sure if your limiting beliefs are correct, just ask them. That way, you'll get an objective perspective outside of your own point of view, which can help you separate the facts from the stories you tell yourself.

3. Use positive affirmations

One of the best ways to combat limiting beliefs is to use positive affirmations. Affirmations are phrases you say to yourself to boost your confidence.

Use positive affirmations to change self-limiting beliefs into positive self-beliefs. For example, if you tell yourself that you aren't good enough for a promotion, you can reframe that belief by assuring yourself that you work hard and deserve success. In this way, you can combat negative thoughts by framing them in positive terms. This can be done in many ways, but saying these thoughts out loud to yourself or others can help strengthen the belief.

You can use this technique when negative feelings arise, or incorporate it into your daily routine to avoid self-limiting beliefs in the first place. Examples of reframing negative self-thoughts include

Reframing "I'm not good enough to manage this project" to "I've the skills necessary to be successful at everything I do"

Reframing "I don't have enough time to invest in myself" into "I've the ability to manage my time so that I can focus on what is most important to me"

By changing the way you look at challenges, you can train your mind to see the positive in everyday situations rather than the negative.

4. Don't give up

Never give up when limiting beliefs creep in. Remember, you're not alone. Everyone experiences limiting beliefs, even leaders and entrepreneurs you admire.

The most important thing is that you hold onto the limiting beliefs and don't let them hinder you. Among the many qualities of a leader, not giving up on yourself and others is one of the most important.

Although it can be easy to feel down when you're going through a cycle of negativity, push away limiting thoughts by taking a moment for yourself. Sometimes all you need is a breath of fresh air to set you on a more positive path.

Believe in yourself and your team

Everyone experiences self-limiting beliefs. If you experience one, remember that you aren't alone. The most important thing isn't to completely eliminate limiting beliefs, but to learn to overcome them and focus on the positive. When you change your perspective, you change your life.

To foster positive self-beliefs in the workplace, your team must have the confidence and support to reach their potential. With team communication software, you can empower your team to share tasks and build each other up.

Click here to learn more about our team here.