67 Limiting Beliefs That Spoil Your Potential As An Entrepreneur

byTDenise

5.7K followers

6 years ago

"What will they think..."

"What if they find out..."

"Is that really good enough"

There's so many voices that run rampant in your head, and many of them are paralyzing you from moving forward into the greatest version of yourself and the greatest asset to our world. These beliefs can stem from what people have said, body language you saw, or even subliminal messaging from situations, music, or entertainment that you watched. However you accumulated these self-limiting beliefs, they can massively reduce what you're capable of.

If you're capable of:

• Impacting billions of people
  
• Being the wealthiest person in history
  
• Leading nations
  
• Buying islands
  
• Amassing material possessions
  
• Making deep relationship connections
  
• Feeling content
  
• Having fans and admirers
  
• and, leaving a great legacy...
  

These limiting beliefs will stand as a barrier to those things causing:

• Mediocrity
  
• Lessening your impact with others
  
• Making shallow relationships
  
• Having naysayers and skeptics
  
• Leading very few or even no one
  
• Struggling financially
  
• Accumulating debt
  
• Not following thru on promises
  
• Feeling discontent
  
• Not being able to travel
  
• and, leaving a "meh" legacy
  

If the limiting beliefs aren't addressed, it's like leaving loads of money, opportunity, and wealth on the table! Everything you could be, becomes impossible when these limiting beliefs are left as barriers.

My Story

I've had several times where I'm selling to clients and I allow the self-limiting beliefs in my head to steer the direction of the deal, and it's always painful. At times, these beliefs will prevent me from pricing as I should, giving reasonable deadlines, following thru on commitments I've made, and ultimately, submitting to the self limiting beliefs has led me on a downward spiral to lower and lower self-confidence.

I've had projects where I know I can charge thousands, but I hesitated to ask for it because of self-limiting beliefs I had. Later, someone else offering a lower quality than what I could, whose bold enough to ask, will get the same customer to pay them 5-10 times more simply because they were bold enough to ask.

Why I wrote this list of Limiting Beliefs

Self-limiting beliefs have to be broken and dealt with in order to climb the ladders of success, which is why I wanted to write a list of self-limiting beliefs that could be limiting your results:

1. "I'm good at starting things, but not finishing them".

2. "Why would anyone care what I have to say?"

3. "I didn't work hard enough to deserve good results".

4. "I don't deserve [ money, fame, satisfaction, happiness, relationships, etc.]

5. "This isn't in my genes"

6. My family isn't in business, so I can't be that successful".

7. "I'm just creative"

8. "I'm not creative".

9. "I'm a procrastinator"

10. "I'm so stupid".

11. "I'm an idiot".

12. "People will think I sound stupid".

13. "I'm not the first person to think of this".

14. "Other people can do it better than I can".

15. "Nobody's interested in my ideas."

16. "If I success, how will I be able to sustain it? I probably won't."

17: "I'll never be [ creative enough, pretty enough, good enough at selling, outgoing enough, disciplined enough, etc.] to be an entrepreneur."

18. "Nobody would want what I have"

19. "I'm not a [ creative, numbers, well-dressed, etc] person."

20. "This person did ...,so all people like them will probably do..."

21. "I'm not going to be successful, so why try?"

22. "I'm too [old, fat, skinny, dark, light, tall, short, loud, quiet, etc.]

23. "I'm beneath these people."

24. "I'm lazy".

25. "I need to be more original." or "I'm not original enough".

26. "People won't take me seriously because I'm [short, tall, black, white, skinny, fat, quiet, outgoing, etc.]".

27. "I'll look [foolish, like an idiot, desperate, broke, rich, etc,]"

28. "I don't think I'd give enough value."

29. "I've failed doing that before, so I don't want to try again."

30. "I can't because [I have kids, I'm married, my husband won't let me, etc.]

31. "I'm a slow learner".

32. "I'm slow to catch onto things."

33. "I can't because I have a disability or dysfunction".

34. "I can't measure up even if I work hard".

35. "I always have to sacrifice things that matter to me for someone else. I never get a chance to pursue what I want."

36. "If it's meant to be, it will happen".

37. "I'm always rejected when I ask for anything."

38. The only way to success is to go to school, get a degree, get a job, and go up the corporate ladder."

39. "I'm not motivated enough."

40. "I'm happy the way things are."

41. "I've had a great life, I don't need anything else."

42. "I wouldn't know where to start with that."

43. "I just can't do it."

44. "There's no point".

45. "I'm too [scared, shy, emotional, empathetic, bad with math, introverted, etc.]

46. I don't have enough [money, support, connections, good ideas, knowledge, etc.]

47. "That's just not a good fit for "me"."

48. "I'm not tech savvy".

49. "I don't know my vision, purpose, or where I want to go in life."

50. "Now isn't the "right" time."

51. "I'm not an expert."

52. "I don't have time".

53. "Something always gets in the way."

54. "Something always comes up."

55. "People will judge me."

56. "I don't have the skills".

57. "I'm always misunderstood."

58. "People won't get it."

59. "Sales is evil".

60. "People who sell are manipulative."

61. "I'm made to work for others".

62. "I'm indebted to ...to work for them."

63. "I'm a quitter."

64. "I don't have persistence."

65. "I'm not self-disciplined enough."

66. "People like me don't [start businesses, build wealth, work with topnotch people, have opportunities, etc.]"

67. "I'll never be good enough at..."

What to do after you've identified a limiting belief?

Here's a brief step-by-step process you can adopt for when you identify that you're dealing with a limiting belief.

1. Identify the limiting belief

Before you can solve any problem, you have to identify that it's there. Limiting beliefs are dangerous because often times, they go unnoticed. You may believe something that's limiting your potential, but you've never taken the time to challenge your thoughts.

2. Decide if it's legitimate or if it's "just in your head"

Some limiting beliefs are legitimate. Maybe, you are new to an industry or a topic, and you don't feel confident calling yourself a "master" at it. In this case, it may be a legitimate concern. Similarly, maybe you're a parent or full time employee, and you don't have time enough to work on your business and maintain your current priorities--that's also a legitimate belief.

When you have legitimate reasons for maintaining a belief, but you're sure it stops you from maximizing your potential, you have to create solutions. In the case of my two examples with being new to an industry, being a parent or employee, and having legitimate limiting beliefs, you may need to consider:

• Studying more
  
• Managing your time differently
  
• Outsourcing things like childcare or chores
  
• Taking time off from work to work on the business
  
• Sacrificing lunch breaks and social events to focus on the business
  
• and eliminating common distractions...
  

3. Practice, practice, practice, and pursue mastery

Often times, limiting beliefs will reveal lack of preparedness. The greatest cure for lack of preparedness is practice! Whether you're limiting beliefs surround your professional skills or personal skills, you can practice, get better and better, and build your confidence.

Make small promises to yourself, execute on the promises, and continue making bigger and bigger promises until your confidence in yourself has completely shifted.

4. Make new habitual mantras

Instead of mantras that start with "I can't...", "I don't want...", or "I'm not", practice using mantras that start with "I can", "I want...", or "I am...". Monopolizing your mind with what you can do, and what you are capable of will grow your imagination, and help you to see life in a more positive light.

Study people who are successful and adopt their mantras and thought processes. Watch how they differ from you on certain areas and strengthen your identified weaknesses. Adopt the must-have beliefs every entrepreneur needs, and take the limits off of your mind.

5. Stay around people who will speak positive mantras to you

All of the self-talk in the world won't help if you stay in a toxic environment. If people are constantly re-affirming what you "can't do", who you "can't be", or where you "can't go", it plays deeply in your mind.

Often times, people we allow very close to us will be the main sources of these toxic statements, and in order to rise up the echelons of success, we have to maneuver our relationship boundaries quite a bit. You may need to:

• Completely cut some people off
  
• Spend less time around some people
  
• Join new social circles
  
• Say "no" more
  
• or, offer alternative modes of communication
  

These decisions can be very tough, but when you're living a better life because you're surrounded by people who believe in you, support you, and offer a mutually beneficial relationship, you'll appreciate your decision.

6. Continue eliminating new limiting beliefs

Unfortunately, you don't get rid of limiting beliefs in one sweep. You usually notice them when situations present themselves, and you have to ask, "Why am I handling this like that?". When you notice the limiting beliefs, you have to address them and replace them with an alternative belief.

7. Challenge yourself with goal setting

Make goals that make you sweat. There are things you think you "can't" do that you probably can if you try. It doesn't hurt to try. You will probably even surprise yourself with what you're able to do.

8. Reward yourself for accomplishments

Alot of times, you mat forget to celebrate yourself. You think to yourself, "No one is watching" or "I haven't achieved my money goals yet", so you forget to celebrate other milestones you've achieved.

Would you like working for a boss who never appreciated your work? So, why would you do that to yourself?

Be the boss to yourself you always wish you had. Practice rewarding yourself and when you scale and hire, it'll be easier to maintain this culture of gratitude.

9. Be grateful for the journey and the destinations

Alot of times, successful entrepreneurs will tell you they were anticipating a goal for so long, then when they got there, it wasn't all they anticipated it would be. Maybe they anticipated buying their first sports car, buying their first house, buying name brand clothes, or something else, then when they got it, it wasn't "all that".

Contentment starts now. You don't get happy by acquiring some material possession or relationship. You get happy when you decide to be happy, when you decide to place boundaries so things that disrupt your peace lose power, and when you value yourself.

Now, it's Your Turn...

Have you held any of these limiting beliefs? What have they prevented you from accomplishing? How did you overcome them? What have you accomplished since you put these beliefs behind you? Do you have a process for noticing limiting beliefs or overcoming them? Leave your comments and questions below.