Self-Improvement Tips: 7 Limiting Beliefs Preventing You From Growing Into Your Potential

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When you think about your future, what comes to mind?

Are you confident in your personal growth and development, with clearly established goals and a plan to reach them?

Are you hopeful that things will somehow work out the way you want?

Or are you just trying to get through another day?

What we believe about ourselves and our potential is a huge factor in determining whether we will ever get what we want.

Are your beliefs driving you or limiting you?

Are you making progress in your self-improvement?

If you’re not sure, it may be time to take a look at what you truly think and believe about reaching your potential.

See if your thoughts contain any of these 7 limiting beliefs that can actually create a wall between where you are now and where you want to be:

7 Limiting Beliefs That May Be Keeping You From Being The Person You Envision and Having The Life You Desire

1. “I can’t see/imagine myself ___________.”

Half the battle of reaching your goals is often visualizing yourself reaching them.

If you can’t see yourself where you want to be, or even imagine it, how will you have the motivation to get there?

Instead, begin to purposely imagine yourself where you want to be – what it looks like, how it feels, what you’ll be doing – and you will be one step closer to getting there.

2. “I’ll do it someday.”

The word “someday” is a curse to your goals and a dream-killer, because it often never comes.

It gives us permission not to plan, not to set goals and not do anything today to move ourselves forward.

While you may not know when you will get where you want to be, don’t muddy it up even more by calling it “someday”.

Set small goals and steps and stick to them. Eventually, your someday will be today.

3. “I’m fine the way I am.”

There’s a fine line here because, yes, as a valuable, worthwhile human being, you are fine just the way you are.

You don’t need to change anything just to please someone else.

But…if you have goals to accomplish and dreams to follow, there may be some self-improvement issues in your life that require your focus and effort.

Things that will need adjusting in order for you to get ‘there’, like work habits, financial habits, or the way you spend your time, think and talk.

We can all improve ourselves in some way and denying that only delays you from reaching your full potential.
 

4. “At least I’m not like __________.”

Comparison is a road that goes nowhere.

Nowhere you want to go, anyway.

While it’s fine to gain motivation from others, using their shortcomings (or their successes) as an excuse not to grow or improve ourselves is detrimental to our success and just wrong.

You are not that person.

You are you.

If you must compare, compare yourself to you a year, five years or ten years ago.

Have you improved the things you could?

Have you made positive changes and taken measurable steps toward your goals?

Self-comparison is the only fair (and useful) comparison that we should make.

5. “I was born this way.”

No offense to Lady Gaga, but this statement is not very helpful when it comes to striving for your potential.

True, we may have certain limitations that are from birth that we can’t change, but don’t let that be an excuse to not try.

You may have to adjust where you are going or how you will get there, but never resign yourself to being bound by how you were born.

There is great potential in each of us, no matter how we come into this world.

6. “Nobody’s perfect.”

Of course, this statement is absolutely true.

No one is perfect, and no one ever will be.

But using this statement as a reason not to do our best is just making excuses.

We all make mistakes along the way, sometimes big ones, but so does everyone else.

The biggest mistake of all is letting that defeat you and prevent you from continuing along your chosen path.

Don’t let a mindset of being imperfect cause you to be sloppy and half-hearted; your life is worth more than that.

7. “I’m not good enough.”

I admit, this is a tough one.

We live in a highly competitive world and it seems like, no matter what you want to do, there is always someone to do it better.

The best answer for that is… so what?

It doesn’t matter if others are faster, stronger, better or whatever, you are a unique individual with a unique set of gifts that no one else has.

You bring something entirely new to the table just because of who you are.

Never let the success of others intimidate you.

Do what you can to the best of your ability and don’t deprive the world of the blessing you were meant to be.

It’s very easy to get caught up in potential-limiting beliefs such as the ones we’ve identified here, but it is so very important that you do not stay caught up in them.

You have too much to offer to the world to believe in less than who you are.

Your potential is just waiting to be released, and you are the only one who can release it.

Make the decision to banish thoughts such as these from your mind, commit to your own self-improvement and personal growth, and begin to see all that is possible for you.

Your life and your potential are too important to settle for anything less.

Was this post helpful to you? If so, please let me know how in the comments, and then think about who, in your circle of friends, family or just someone you know, that would be encouraged and benefit from this information in their personal journey. Please share this post with them. Thanks!

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Kimberly Clay is the founder and creative force behind What She Say. She’s a business professional, writer and editor who’s been creating and managing digital content for nearly twenty years. Her work is now focused in the areas of self-improvement and personal development, and she is passionate about helping other individuals, especially women, to find a path for living their best life.