Five beliefs that stop you doing what you want to do

Personal development

Are you self-sabotaging your own potential? Discover the five beliefs that stop you doing what you want to do – and what you should be telling yourself instead. 

Have you ever wanted to do something with your life but felt like it was always out of reach? A lot of it has to do with restricting beliefs, and we need to change them if we want to start steering our lives in the right direction.

Five beliefs that stop you doing what you want to do

It shouldn’t be difficult either. After all, beliefs are only thoughts, and thoughts can be changed. Here I’ve listed five of the most common self-sabotaging beliefs we tend to have – do you recognise any of them?

1) This is as good as it gets

You’ve decided this is the best you’re going to get in life. The reasons for this might be:

  • You’ve settled into your comfort zone.
  • You feel you don’t deserve more.
  • You haven’t put aside time to think about what you truly want.

What you should be telling yourself instead

Figure out what you want and be honest by acknowledging that you’re not satisfied with the situation you find yourself in. Get a different perspective and work towards new goals. You can see others leading the life they want – why not you?

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2) It’s too late

Are you over a certain age and feel like you’ve already accomplished what you can? Do you think there’s not enough time to start a new career, relationship, get healthy, or even invest money?

What you should be telling yourself instead

Lots of people find success late in life: Stan Lee created his first hit comic at nearly 40, Vera Wang entered the fashion industry at 40, Sam Walton founded his first Wal-Mart at 44 and famously, Colonel Sanders was 65 when he started his food empire!

As the saying goes ‘It’s never too late’. Be proactive, get back in the game and prepare for your next big thing.

3) I’m not worthy

Inside you’re sad and lonely because you feel unlovable. Perhaps you think you’re not outgoing, funny or intelligent enough. Hold on. You have the freedom to feel any way you want, right – so why put yourself down?

What you should be telling yourself instead

Create a new image of yourself and become it. Think and feel what it would be like to be that person. Focus only on what you want and develop a new way of speaking to yourself, without the negative self-image talk. You’ll soon see a new you emerging.

4) This is my income level

No matter how hard you try: networking, switching jobs, working harder, you just can’t seem to make more money. You feel stuck and can’t figure out how to get over this financial hurdle.

What you should be telling yourself instead

You can earn more money, but you can’t do it by convincing yourself there’s a ceiling on your income, or that there’s only one way to get there. It might be that you’re in the wrong industry, or that you don’t really like your role.

With the new gig economy, more and more are turning to contracting and freelancing as an alternative to the old school 9-5 set up. You can maximise your income if you become a limited company too. (A Specialist Contractor Accountant like Intouch Accounting can help you with any questions if you explore this option.)

5) I need outside validation

Whenever you do something, you seek approval and acknowledgement from friends, family, colleagues and even strangers on social media. You do this to reassure yourself that you’re on the right path. But why don’t you trust your own judgement?

What you should be telling yourself instead

It’s ok to listen to what others have to say and take notice of what they do. But at the end of the day, you’re the decision maker, so believe in yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others too harshly – we’re all individuals on unique paths going on our own journeys.

Let go of those false ideas

Start forming new habits and practice turning those negative limiting thoughts into positive productive ones. And before you know it, events will start slotting into place and you’ll be doing all those things you’ve always dreamt of doing.

If you need more help working towards your goals, we recommend reading these articles:

Sue Pickford works for Intouch Accounting, the expert contractor accountancy firm for Limited Company contractors.

Photo by Kristina Flour