How to tackle limiting beliefs head on so you stop holding yourself back

What opportunities have you left on the table because of limiting beliefs?

I consider myself a high-achieving woman. I have worked hard to gain the knowledge and skills that I now possess. I still find myself holding back though, and I wonder if you can relate?

The other day my favorite co-worker and husband came into my office to talk through how we will be morphing the content for my YouTube Channel to give even more value to our audience. As we were wrapping up the discussion, he told me that he hopes I can show more of my personality in this new content. I stared at him for what felt like 2 minutes and then asked him what he meant by that statement. He told me that he felt I was holding back and playing things too safe. He went on to say that my personality doesn’t completely shine through and I am much edgier than I show on camera. He was hoping the world could experience more of the ginger fire that my friends and family get to see every day.

I have been thinking about that every day since he told me. I didn’t even think that I was holding myself back. I was striving to be completely authentic in all of my work. And I didn’t even notice that I wasn’t. I had some soul searching to do because holding back was going to eventually work against me in all kinds of ways.  

Here are 3 things that I’m doing to break through my limiting beliefs so I can keep moving forward. I’m sure they will be helpful for you as well.

1. Journaling -  I intentionally sit down every day to journal. Journaling is a safe space for me wrestle with all of the things I don’t want to share with others. It has helped me shed a lot of negative energy and feelings about myself. It has also inspired me to commit to being better today than I was yesterday. I have flipped the script on myself to compete with me rather than anyone else who might be doing something similar.
2. Acknowledging limiting beliefs - What I have learned is when I simply acknowledge the limiting beliefs I hold about myself and sit with them for a while, they start to erode. There is something extremely powerful about sitting with your beliefs and feelings. It can be painful at first and, if you stick with it, a turning point begins to happen where you begin to own them. Owning your limiting beliefs is what sets you free. 
3. Leaning into my kitchen cabinet - Let me define that for you. My kitchen cabinet is my top 5 people that I choose to surround myself with. They are like a personal board of directors. They are smarter than me, have accomplished more than me, and are dedicated to helping me up-level. I’ve asked them to call me out on my crap and help me to see where I hold myself back. 
4. Re-framing the narrative - Once I break free from the limiting belief, I think about it and speak about it differently. My limiting belief was that when I tried to be that way in business in the past, I was told I was too much. I toned it down so much over the years that it became normal. What I tell myself today is that the world deserves to see the real me. If I hold back, I’m not helping other women to be truly authentic themselves.

We all have to do the work to evolve. You can use these tips to help with your limiting beliefs. Identifying them can be painful and it helps when someone you trust helps you to see them. As you identify one or more limiting beliefs, try these steps. Journal, acknowledge the belief, ask your 5 closest people to hold you accountable, and start re-framing the narrative you tell yourself around it. 

High achieving women do not need to let limiting beliefs hold you back on the path to achieving your greatness. And you have to approach it head on. It’s hard and painful work AND it reaps benefits you never knew you could have. Try the steps above to begin moving the needle. If you find that you need more support around this, let me know. Sign up for a free 30 minute session with me where I can help you identify a limiting belief and provide a mini plan for you to work on it!