Having boundaries, personally and professionally, is a healthy form of self-preservation that keeps us from getting burnt out. Boundaries are not meant to limit potential, but place value on our own well-being. In a different vein, I think a type of unhealthy boundary (one that constrains you in a negative way) is a limiting belief. This type of belief stunts growth in certain areas because of an ongoing story that says “I can’t,” “I’m/it’s not good enough,” “This is the way it’s always been,” and so on. Here are some of the more common limiting beliefs, and some tips on getting over them:

Not Good Enough/Not Ready. The most common limiting belief is that something isn’t good enough or ready to show the world. One example for me was the first blog post I wrote for Breaking Even. It took me a very long time to write, and I agonized over every word. When I was done, I wanted to throw the whole thing away because it was terrible and unprofound (according to my inner critic). Then, Nicole shared a video from Ira Glass (below) about how everyone starts at different points in creativity, but keeping yourself/your work hidden until absolutely perfect, you probably aren’t going to get anywhere.

When an opportunity for a job or something else comes along (like a chance for breakdancing lessons or running a marathon), it’s kind of a bummer to pass up on that opportunity because we aren’t ready yet. The key is “yet.” All of these things take preparation. You probably won’t get it on the first try, but if you’re persistent and keep showing up…anything is possible.



Not Enough ____. Another common limiting belief is scarcity. It could be telling yourself “I don’t have enough time/money” (in other words, resources) for a certain activity. In a business context, this belief manifests itself in “there’s not enough customers for me AND my competition.” Having this scarcity mentality often results in viewing the world in a narrow, short-term lens. This article from Simple Dollar suggests it breeds “sadness and jealousy.” On the flip side, an abundance mindset approaches the world from a “There’s enough here for all of us” perspective. You don’t live in constant fear that things are going to run out, but continue working hard and trust that more will come when it comes.

It’s always been this way. This belief keeps us stagnant more than any other belief. It’s death to innovation and newer, better ways of accomplishing the same work. It can be anywhere from accepting the way certain people interact with you to submitting to a larger system, simply because “that’s just the way it is.” Turning this type of belief around can be scarier than the others, maybe because rejection is a very real possibility, and who wants that feeling? My advice, if you’re standing up to the “It’s always been this way”-ers, is to have some supporting evidence for your argument, be prepared to meet some resistance, and don’t give up just yet. There might be room for a compromise, or it might take others awhile to warm up to the idea of doing something differently. I’ve been lucky in getting a sample of this work environment AND one that encourages new ideas.



Think about which one of these is creating your ceiling, then you can think about changing it. (Unless you have a very nice ceiling that you like, of course.) 

If you’re feeling generally “stuck” in an area of your life, you might want to consider looking at some potential limiting beliefs (you might not even realize you have them- I certainly didn’t). For examples of limiting beliefs related specifically to businesses, check out this article from Entrepreneur. Limiting beliefs create a kind of clogged drain situation- you can’t necessarily see what’s in the way, but you know that the system could be performing a bit better. Once it’s cleared out, there’s really no telling what successes might come to you/your business (with patience, persistence, and some elbow grease).

Limiting beliefs can fit in any of the above categories, like “I’m too young for people to take me seriously.” or “XYZ company has always had a zero telecommute policy.” It may be hard to get at yours but think about something you wanted to do but didn’t… and the excuse you gave yourself may be a good start.

Ceilings help in houses but not in people. Here’s hoping this post made you think about yours and how you can charge though it to get more height than you ever thought possible.



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