Do You Need a New Hat?

Some of us are wearing an old hat.

It’s the one we first put on when we decided to go into business.  You know…back then, before you really knew what being in business was all about.

It’s the one with all those silly flowers – or rather, ideas.  Silly ideas.

Like the idea that you can’t get that coveted referral source to send potential clients your way.

Or, the idea that your revenues will never exceed a certain level. Or, the idea that you just can’t hire the kind of staff person who could really get things moving around the office  –  either you can’t find them or you can’t afford them.

Or, any of half a dozen other “ideas” that you have about growing your practice.

These “ideas” have another name:  Limiting Beliefs.   If you are like most people, you’ve got lots of them decorating your hat.

Are you ready to let go of these limits to your personal growth, business expansion, financial reward and the achievement of your dreams?

Take the First Step

The first step to removing or at least reshaping or reducing a limiting belief is to know when one is “in the driver’s seat” when you are making a decision or choice.

Because many limiting beliefs are hidden from your awareness, they can keep you from becoming “who you really are”, from experiencing life to the fullest, and from achieving your goals and dreams.

Some of them you may already realize that you have, even if you don’t realize the full implications of operating from that premise (“I’m an introvert” or “people in my profession just don’t make the big bucks” or “I have to do X before I can do Y” or “in order to really be successful, I need more training, credentials, experience, money, you “fill-in-the-blank”).

Other limiting beliefs happily exist without your conscious awareness (“that’s not ‘me’ because only desperate people do that” or “selling cheapens my professionalism” or “it’s not right to earn more than my spouse/parent/other person”).

Without pulling these out from behind the curtain and exploring their “truth” and what it means to you as well as how it is guiding (sometimes even controlling) your decisions – and your results, you risk cutting off great opportunities that you could have easily pursued had that hidden belief not stood in your way.

You also risk not even seeing opportunities that are right in front of you.

How to Recognize a Limiting Belief

One way to identify when a limiting belief could be impacting your behavior (or choices or thought process) is to notice when a thought or idea makes you uncomfortable; particularly when it’s accompanied by “oh, I couldn’t do that”.

Here are a few more examples of what it might look like:

• You quickly discard an idea without exploring it.
• You admire another person’s achievements yet find yourself ruling out taking a similar path because it’s impractical, “not for me” or too this or too that.
• You attend a meeting, workshop, or networking event with a colleague and you have a totally different experience. They come back with new leads, a great idea, plans for lunch or an eager excitement and you didn’t meet anyone in particular to speak of and think your friend is either lucky or exaggerating.

Instead of following your usual pattern, try this instead.  Pause and ask yourself:

• Where’s the limiting belief?
• What am I assuming about myself or this scenario that is leading me to rule it out – or gravitate to it?
• What is dictating my response here?

Hidden within there, wrapped up in “practical”, habitual or excuse-based reasons could be a limiting belief.

That hat you are wearing (your beliefs) fuels your self-talk, your planning, your use of time…and your level of financial achievement and personal reward.  You’ve heard it before:

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford

So, is your hat holding you back? 

Throw that old thing away!

Design yourself a new one, put it on and get going!

 Author’s Note:
“I want to acknowledge that identifying and eliminating limiting beliefs can be a complex process.  There is more involved than this article is intended to cover.  However, being aware of the potential existence of limiting beliefs is the first step and this article introduces you to that possibility.” ~ Dianne Dawson