55 examples of common limiting beliefs and how you can start overcoming them
Have you ever heard of limiting beliefs? If you’re looking for a list of common beliefs, I assume that you have and are ready to start overcoming them. This article is all about the top limiting beliefs nearly everyone has or has experienced and how you can identify them.
Only a few years ago, I was introduced to personal growth and was completely fascinated by the idea of improving myself. I didn’t realise is that much of this work and growth needs to be done in the unconscious mind. Consciously, I was trying to make the change but wasn’t getting the results I wanted because I still had unresolved negative self-beliefs.
At the same time as I was trying to change my life, I was experiencing anxiety. Originating from the belief that ‘I am always a disappointment‘. As a result of this belief, I was a major people pleaser and associated my worth with making everyone else happy. If they weren’t happy or I thought I had done something wrong, the world came crashing down around me and I couldn’t breathe.
It was scary. The fact that this strong emotion that was affecting me physically came from one small thought, is astounding. I know that I am not alone in this feeling and experience. If you too are experiencing this, then I want to encourage you to keep pursuing this journey to overcome your limiting beliefs and start living the life you desire.
Thankfully, realising the belief and where it came from, gave me the power to overcome it. Although it crops up from time to time, I know that I am enough and I don’t have to please everyone to be worthy. I feel empowered and you are worthy of this too.
What are limiting beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are opinions and thoughts that you personally believe to be the absolute truth. Unfortunately, given the name, they can also be extremely limiting. Stopping you from moving forward and growing in your personal and professional life.
They are typically formed throughout childhood through the things we see, experience, and learn from our parents and other significant figures in our lives. Children also tend to be egocentric and believe everything to revolve around them or be a result of them. Therefore, the beliefs that are formed through this period are self-orientated and can be destructive of your self-esteem and confidence.
The impact of limiting beliefs is often negative and can be significant in your life. From the examples of limiting beliefs below, you’ll see how they can appear at any time in your life and any situation. Including your personal relationships, your work and even your health. Beliefs are always present.
In addition, limiting beliefs also cause your brain to filter all of your experiences to back them up. Our consciousness can only deal with a small part of all the information we absorb every day, the rest is taken in by the unconscious mind. Where it filters, generalises and stores experiences according to the values and beliefs that you hold.
Therefore, limiting beliefs not only have an impact on what you do in life but also how you see the world and others. This is also why limiting beliefs are sometimes called self-fulfilling prophecies. Believing a certain thing about yourself, your mind is orientated by that belief and will seek out situations or filter the experience to prove it true.
It can be hard to escape the impact that beliefs have on your life. Making it even more important to change them. Overcoming your limiting beliefs can release you from the negativity and position you in a place of positive power in your life.
List of 55 common limiting beliefs
This list of common limiting beliefs is to help you identify the beliefs in yourself. These are thoughts that many people have about themselves and perhaps you do too. The list can also help you realise that you are not alone in your own struggles and that others are going through the same thing too.
Common limiting beliefs about yourself, also called self-limiting beliefs
- I am not enough, not worthy
- I am too old, too young
- I am fat
- I am not pretty enough
- I am not smart enough
- I am too poor
- No one will listen to me or what i have to say
- I always fail, what’s the point in trying
- I have no idea who I am
- I’m lazy
Common beliefs about people and the world, also known as global beliefs
- Money is the root of all evil
- All people are selfish
- The world is not fair, I always lose
- Change is too hard
- Bad things always happen to me
- other people hold me back from my own potential
- Other people are more fortunate than me
- What is meant to happen will happen, it is what it is (i.e. I have no power)
- there’s not enough to go around
- Luck always runs out, they only got where they are because of luck
Beliefs about money, you might have heard of money mindset before
- I never have enough money
- I am not good with money
- Money causes arguments and negativity
- Money will bring me happiness
- Everything is too expensive
- I can’t afford to be happy
- money brings out the worst in people
Common limiting beliefs about love
- I am not worthy of being loved
- All men/women are cheats/liars/selfish
- I will never find a partner
- I’ll be alone forever
- I can’t face rejection
- There’s no one out there for me
- Love only leads to heartache
- relationships only cause pain
- I’m happy by myself
Beliefs about health
- I will never be skinny enough
- You have to be (a certain kind of person) to be successful
- I’ll be happy once I lose weight
- I am only worth what the scale tells me
- I don’t have enough time to be healthy
- Being healthy is expensive
- It’s too hard
- What’s the point of trying to be healthy
- I’m not a gym goer/healthy eater etc
Beliefs about your career
- I am too old/young to be successful
- I don’t have enough experience or credentials, I don’t know enough
- There are people out there better than me
- I come from a poor family, therefore, I won’t be successful
- I could never do what I really want to
- You have to work hard in order to be successful
- I don’t know where to start
- I’m not motivated enough
- I procrastinate too much, I am a procrastinator
- I never finish what I start
Exploring popular beliefs about life in more details
Before moving on, let’s dive into a few common limiting beliefs to understand where they can come from and the impact they have on your life.
I am not enough, not worthy
This is one of the top limiting beliefs that people have. Typically caused by experiences such as rejection, criticism, abandonment, or a breakdown of a personal, professional or parental relationship. Many situations can cause this belief to manifest and it significantly affects your life.
Believing you’re not enough can stop you from going after the job, love interest and keep you playing small. You can completely lose trust and confidence in yourself and your self-esteem will likely be very low. It is not a nice or happy place and no one should have to be there.
You are enough.
I never have enough money
This limiting belief is rooted in a scarcity mindset and a place of lack. Equally, replacing money in this belief with resources, intelligence, time, or space is just as limiting.
When you are in a lack mindset, you are stuck in a place of never having enough. Your unconscious mindset is continually filtering experiences in this way and seeking out ways to make this true. Therefore, preventing you from breaking free from lack and living in abundance.
All people are selfish
This kind of global belief paints a poor picture for other people you encounter. Causing you to assume the worst in others and negatively impact relationships you already have. This negative limiting belief can mean you have a lack of trust in others and can find it difficult to see ways they are selfless.
I’ll be happy once I lose weight
Appearance and weight are held highly by our society. Unfortunately, this can encourage you to have negative thoughts about your own appearance and self-worth. Often associating your worth and happiness with your weight.
But this belief is conditional, why can’t you have both?
This belief means you can only have one thing (in this case, happiness) providing you meet the condition (losing weight). Resulting in you feeling worse about yourself if you don’t lose any weight and your happiness cannot be allowed.
If you have any conditional beliefs, you can start overcoming them by using the word “and”. Transforming this belief to, “I can be happy and lose weight”. Do you see how this changes the whole mood about the belief and empowers you to be happy?
Identifying limiting beliefs
Identifying beliefs is the first step to overcoming limiting beliefs. Now that you’ve seen some examples, ask yourself, what are my limiting beliefs? Do you identify with any of the common limiting beliefs?
To identify limiting beliefs, you can first observe your thoughts and question your actions for a few days. Noting any times when you participate in negative self-talk and understanding how these thoughts impact what you do. If you can’t write them down straight away, take time in the evenings to reflect on your day and uncover your limiting beliefs through reflection.
You can also evaluate your past actions. What times have you stepped back or felt like you were being held back from your full potential? What challenges have you faced and how did you react to them? How have you acted in a relationship and why?
Diving deep into the most confronting parts of ourselves is a part of identifying your limiting beliefs. Sometimes, revealing things we might not like about ourselves or regret. But that is okay because facing them means you can overcome them.
Once you have identified your beliefs, question them to understand where they came from and why. Diving into the root cause can help you realise the truth or falseness of these beliefs.
These are just two starting points for your journey to overcoming limiting beliefs. Identifying them doesn’t mean you won’t believe them or think that way anymore. It can be a lengthy but worthwhile process to overcome limiting beliefs and instead, empower yourself with new beliefs.
Where do you go from here?
There are many other tools and techniques you can use to overcome beliefs that are holding you back. Use the self-limiting beliefs list above to become aware of your thoughts and the identity you associate with them.
Journaling is an excellent and easy process you can do to identify old limiting beliefs that crop up. As well as being a safe place where you can work through them, understand them and let go of the limiting beliefs.
Begin to replace your limiting beliefs with empowering ones. Instead of being rooted in the negative, frame your beliefs positively. My Mindset Toolkit can help you through the entire process of overcoming your limiting beliefs. From identifying them to replacing them in the most appropriate way to condition them into your unconscious.
Also, try books like my favourite, Awaken the Giant Within and Self Love and Spiritual Alchemy (get this for free with getting this Kindle Unlimited). Walking you through the steps to change your limiting beliefs for good.
It is time for you to stop playing small and thinking of yourself in a negative, disempowering way. Shed the identity you have created according to these beliefs, just as I shed my identity of disappointment. Realising your true worth and enabling you to live your best life and be your best self every day.
