Top 10 Self-Limiting Beliefs Examples: Which ones resonate with you?

If self-limiting beliefs examples, or the topic as a whole, are somewhat new for you, you may be  wondering:

• What are self-limiting beliefs?
  • GREAT question! Click the link above to get caught up! 
• How do you identify self-limiting beliefs?
  • It takes introspection and a bit of training. This post not only covers some top self-limiting beliefs examples, but also my favorite method for identifying your own later in this post!
• How do you push through self-limiting beliefs?
  • Hope this doesn’t disappoint you, but you don’t. Gutting through just creates new unwanted issues. Instead, you learn to release them and plant new, empowering beliefs in their place. 

Self-Limiting beliefs examples

There are as many self-limiting beliefs examples as there are life experiences. Considering how we approach each experience under the influence of previous experiences, our faith, current health status, and any generational beliefs that have been passed down to us. 

And even though the list of self-limiting beliefs examples is endless, there are themes that many of them share, which is where this list of the Top 10 Self-Limiting Beliefs Examples draws from. 

Which ones resonate most with you? 

Top 10 Self-limiting beliefs

1. Fear of Failure – This one drives self-limiting behavior, or self-sabotage, for many people. The Fear of Failure can be so strong in its effort to keep you safe, that it not only has the power to prevent you from stepping outside your comfort zone, but it can also create off-shoot self-limiting beliefs shown below. 
2. Fear of Success – This surprising thought drives an equal amount of self-sabotage. Fears surrounding being successful are usually in place as a protective mechanism surrounding what would come next.
   • If I’m too successful I’ll overshadow my partner and will be left alone.
   • I won’t be able to keep up this level of peak performance.
   • I’ll have too many things to manage.
   • Others’ expectations will be too high.
3. I’ll Never/I’ll Always – ‘I’ll never be able to…’ or ‘I’ll always struggle with…’ are common self-limiting beliefs examples. We’re not talking about things that obviously no human will be able to do such as live forever, or things we will always do that are necessary for survival. These self-limiting beliefs examples are those that convince you that you’ll never be able to change or find enough time or get ahead or any other thing that seems out of reach for you but is somehow accessible for others.
4. I Should/Shouldn’t – Self-limiting beliefs examples that start this way are rooted in feeling inherently wrong about the choices you’ve made previously and that you have a lot of work to do on yourself before you can even consider making a change to this pattern. This form of self-sabotage is really good and keeping you stuck based on feelings of inadequacy. 
5. There’s not enough – money, time, opportunity, whatever it is, there’s not enough to accomplish the end goal so I shouldn’t take the first steps. Creating change is only ever about taking the first step. Doing so alters your view. And as your confidence grows, you’ll begin planning for and committing to lasting change. These initiatives can be enough change to let you see what resources are available to you.
   • Just moving where you place your attention can be a significant change!
   • Taking the first step, no matter how wobbly, can be incredibly freeing.
   • Loosening the tight grip you have on the weight you’ve been dragging around.
6. If I make this change I’m off the hook for previous bad decisions. Or I’ll be letting someone else off the hook. Life is full of lessons learned and awareness of our mistakes is important. It’s how we grow. But there is no value in continually punishing yourself for something in the past, no matter how big and bad it may be. Especially for you who know how deeply you are loved by God and what lengths God went through to have a relationship with you – not after you made yourself clean and pretty enough, but while you were still mucky with sin (Romans 5:8).
7. If I make this change, it proves I was wrong or at fault all along. This pattern often happens in tandem with self-limiting belief examples that revolve around health conditions. When I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and began exploring natural options, everything pointed back to decreasing inflammation through diet, exercise, and if you’re a diabetic like me, better blood sugar control. I definitely saw this idea worming its way into my thought life. I was diagnosed as Type 1 Diabetic when I was three, and I’ve certainly had some self-sabotage rebellious streaks when it came to caring for myself. But in no way should I let a fear of being outed as not doing what I knew was best mean I deserve to continue adding on complications. If there are things I can do now, shouldn’t I? Of course! And the same is true for you.
8. My situation is different. – “My diagnosis is the worst my doctor has seen.” “My relationship history would shock Jerry Springer.” “You wouldn’t believe my childhood.” For believers, this is one of the biggest ways the spirit of darkness works to hold us in the undertow. Because if you believe that what you’re facing is different than all other human experiences combined, it’s easy to feel outside of God’s love and faithful promises. If no one else in the world has faced what you face, how would a God who “so loved the world” and “overcame the world” make a real impact in your silo situation? Removing this sort of self-limiting belief example frees you to move your anchor from what hinders you and place it deeply in the heart of God who is certainly for you and not against you.  
9. I need this limit to stay safe. Physical illness, tiredness, depression, being far too busy, hormones out of whack, whatever the imbalance, they all have the power to keep you home, limit interaction with others, and halt any progress with your goals. Each pursuit involves some level of risk. Do any of these self-limiting belief examples resonate with you as a way your mind is working to keep you safe from the world and all the potential consequences of getting out and living? There are a lot of incredibly good consequences to getting out there! So no fear. We’ll get you back to the land of the living in a safe and contented way!
10. It’s just too much. I’m not willing to do the work. I don’t have what it takes and will never be ready to do the work. I don’t deserve the reward of doing the work. I need more time (or another resource) before I can begin the work. This series of self-limiting beliefs examples is similarly rooted to the safety example in #9. Remembering that self-limiting beliefs begin as protective measures in our psyche means that they do have a protective layer remaining within them, even if what they are protecting us from is no longer a threat or worse, a really good thing that would allow growth.

Healing your thoughts is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. There are loads and loads of self-limiting beliefs examples not even touched on here. And within each of those listed and not listed, are wild tendrils that sprout off the main vine. This isn’t to get you panicked. It’s just to say, as is the case with most healing, slow and steady is just the right pace. There’s so much to learn about yourself and about God along the way, that each layer you pull back will bring a boost to your endurance! 

What are My Limiting Beliefs?

Identifying the answer to this question may have been initiating just by reading the self-limiting beliefs examples above. Did any of these resonate with you or surprise you in a way that made you feel seen and known? If so, you’re certainly on the right path to identifying a belief that is holding you back in some way. 

An important first step to answering “what are my limiting beliefs” and to differentiate yours from the lengthy list of possible self-limiting beliefs examples, is to set aside some time for you to interview yourself. 

• What do you feel strongly about as it relates to specific areas of life?
  • Relationships, Love, Success, Faith, God, Finances, etc.
• Do you feel stuck in any of these areas?
• What beliefs are holding you back in this part of life?

LIMITING BELIEFS WORKSHEET

Going through the simple limiting beliefs exercise above can shed some light on what you have buried beneath the surface. When you’re ready for the next step, this limiting beliefs worksheet is an invaluable resource in digging deeper! Just click to access.