Do you know that story about the family business going bankrupt that left you terrified of having your own business? Or the story of that aunt left at the altar that haunts all her relationships?
What about the constant struggle of people in your family with the scales, which you call karma? Because these are limiting beliefs that guide your decisions in life for good or bad.
All of this is part of a construct known as mindset, which can define the way you see the world and how you act towards it. So, do you want to better understand how this happens? Keep reading this post!
What is mindset
All these stories that you have heard repeatedly throughout your life help to form your mindset — a term that can be described as something like a “predominant mental model”.
Thus, your mindset is made up of several elements present in your training. Beliefs (which are not related to religion), customs, habits, the way you were raised, and what you saw, heard, and experienced are determining factors in this construction.
And, like everything in life, this great framework that helps shape your personality doesn’t just have good things. Sometimes negative things tend to be much more striking, as they are consolidated by foundations based on fear and insecurity.
Limiting beliefs are an example of this. They are called limiting precisely because they function like chains, which do not allow individuals to advance, progress, or act with freedom and autonomy.
The good news is that your mindset can be changed through theoretical and practical exercises, which help you in the process of self-knowledge. This means that your mental patterns can be modified, and your life can be changed for the better as a result.
This is a movement that you can promote internally — and it has nothing to do with self-help or “miracle” methods, created by gurus who want fame!
The effectiveness of the mental reprogramming process is a proven method of changing behavior, attested by research in the field of neuroscience. A recent study on this was published by the journal Nature.
In practice, “learning to think” differently can bring more prosperity, joy, and achievements in your life. This stage primarily involves overcoming limiting beliefs. So, check out some tips that can help on this journey!
3 tips to change your mindset
1. Know that each individual is unique
Do you know those three examples mentioned at the beginning of the text? Well, they are all stories lived by other people.
And bringing these stories into your own life is a choice, not a rule. Each individual is capable of building their own story, regardless of the negative examples present in their family or social circle.
Therefore, overcoming limiting beliefs involves understanding this. If the family business went bankrupt, for example, remember that anyone can be an entrepreneur.
If, since your great-grandmother, no relationship has worked out for the women in your family, that is a matter of choice, not a rule. In this case, it is necessary to think about how the women in the family dealt with their emotions and created limiting beliefs about the topic.
Therefore, the first important attitude is to overcome the fear of relationships. The second is to be aware that you are still fully capable of building a healthy and constructive relationship.
When you break the mental pattern associated with fear, you realize the infinite possibilities that lead you to complete happiness.
The key questions for generating new awareness are: Is what I believe true? Can I say with absolute certainty that this thought is true or is there different evidence? Almost all responses will be negative, confirming the possibility of choosing a new thought.
2. Change the way you think and act
Now, it is worth highlighting that overcoming limiting beliefs is not just a matter of thought. This task requires constant practice.
It starts in the head, by changing the way you generate initial thoughts, but it must permeate all your actions. It is very common for limiting beliefs, to begin with “I can’t do it”, for example.
In financial life, it is no different. Many people keep saying: “I can’t save money”; “I can’t stay out of debt”; “I can’t acquire anything.” It is possible to change the metal pattern in this area, but that alone is not enough.
It is necessary to change the way we deal with money. Identify why the money does not end up in your hands. This requires constant reflection, but, in addition, it requires a change in attitude towards one’s finances.
So, change the way you deal with the topic by replacing the old phrases with: “I believe in my unlimited prosperity”; “My prosperous thoughts create my prosperous life”; “I create my own reality and I am responsible for what I create”.
Use a new mental pattern, and associate new attitudes with it. Start by identifying all your debts and making a plan to eliminate them. Make negotiations, earn extra income, if necessary, and reduce your consumption pattern.
And remember: it is essential to make a change that you believe in.
3. Insist on the process
Eliminating beliefs from your life is not simple. Imagine: you’ve believed all your life that you’d never have a beautiful body, and now you’re just going to stop thinking that way?
Every change requires initial and continuous effort. So, look for an explanation for this mental pattern. See when it appeared in your life and start breaking it down little by little. Now you have a different consciousness and can see the original situation differently.
If necessary, involve other professionals who can help you eliminate your limiting beliefs, such as a coach or psychologist, for example.
Understand your relationship with food, and with your own body, and start to realize that you don’t need to have the same physical standard as your mother or aunt, for example. Realize that life is yours and that the choices are yours too. And this applies to all areas of life!
Start undertaking a program to change your lifestyle habits towards your goals. Three profiles of entrepreneurs illustrate well how it is possible to deal with limiting beliefs in the business world: the immediateist, the long-timer, and the sagacious.
The first is impulsive: it disregards some limiting beliefs that play an important role at times and wants results at all costs, without being able to analyze the scenario or plan.
The second loses time for the action. You spend a lot of time planning and thus allow yourself to be overcome by limiting beliefs based on fear.
The third is the most balanced. You can control the doses of immediacy and a long time in your life. Therefore, you can plan, organize, and even know the right time to make a decision.
So, shall we now do an exercise? Start listing the limiting beliefs that are hindering your life in some aspect. Then, start changing your mindset based on the tips given.
If you have any questions or suggestions, leave them in this post and we will exchange experiences!
