Have you ever come across a job posting for a great job position – but quickly decided that it is not worth applying because you would probably not be selected for the job anyway? If yes, then you might have limited your potential. Limiting beliefs are common, sneaky, powerful – and usually false. What’s more, they pose a threat to your career, your happiness and your chance to actually reach your potential. In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about limiting beliefs, why they are highly problematic, and how to finally break free of them and live up to your potential.
What are limiting beliefs?
Limiting beliefs are negative beliefs that you hold about yourself and your abilities and that limit you from pursuing goals or engaging in certain situations. For example, you may think that you should not present your work at a conference, because you are just not good at presenting. Or you may not even try to negotiate a higher salary because you are just not an assertive person. Limiting beliefs can span through all domains of life. But what they all have in common is that they keep you from pursuing your goals and dreams and fulfilling your potential.
The scientific term for limiting beliefs is “having a lack of self-efficacy beliefs”. Self-efficacy beliefs are basically the opposite of limiting beliefs. These are beliefs that you hold about your capability to perform a target behaviour or your capability to learn how to perform the target behaviour. For example, a self-efficacy belief is “Even though I do not have a lot of experience presenting my work, I can practice it and I will eventually become better and more comfortable.”
So, as you might have guessed by now, the simple rule is:
Self-efficacy beliefs are great, limiting beliefs not so much.
How are limiting beliefs formed?
Scientists found that there are many different reasons for why we have limiting beliefs. They are oftentimes learned in childhood through observing (especially our parents and close relatives or friends) and through what one was told (for example within the family or at school). This is why it is so difficult to break free of limiting beliefs. Most of them were formed already early in our lives and they partly reflect how we understand ourselves, others, and the world. On top of that, limiting beliefs are oftentimes tied to being part of an underrepresented group. For example, women often have limiting beliefs about their ability to climb the corporate ladder, because growing up (and even today) female executives are harder to come by than male executives.
At work, there are also aspects that can reinforce the formation of limiting beliefs (or interfere with the formation of self-efficacy beliefs). For example, micromanagement can signal mistrust, which makes employees start doubting themselves. A lack of opportunities to learn and grow and the resulting feeling of being stuck, can also reinforce limiting beliefs. Lastly, being exposed to stressors over a long time can deplete your energy and prevent you from feeling self-efficacious. Such stressors are oftentimes very common, for example excessive workload and time pressure.
Why are limiting beliefs problematic?
The biggest problem of limiting beliefs is that they are incredibly powerful. The way we think about ourselves and our abilities is one of the best predictors of our behavior and performance. The reason for that is that we use those beliefs as a guide for what we do and what we don’t even try to do. So, limiting beliefs influence our motivation and if and how we strive to achieve our goals.
More specifically, people who experience less limiting beliefs, have the confidence to putting in the effort to pursue their goals. In fact, scientists found that on average, self-efficacy beliefs (so, the good kind) increase work performance by 28%! This is massive, considering the myriad of other things that simultaneously can affect performance.
On the contrary, people who do experience limiting beliefs often do not even try. So as you can imagine, limiting beliefs do not only make you feel less confident and less in control of your life. They also stand in your way to pursue and achieve your career goals – whatever they may be.
3 steps to breaking free
The good news is that even though limiting beliefs are very powerful, you can break free of them! Here’s how.
1. Find out what the source of your limiting beliefs is
To break free of your limiting beliefs, you have to first know where these beliefs stem from. For example, are your limiting beliefs tied to your gender, your ethnicity, your family background, your financial status or education? Are there any key experiences that shaped the way you think about yourself and your abilities?
Once you are aware of where your limiting beliefs come from, you can start recognizing maladaptive beliefs and start seeing them for what they are: potentially false assumptions.
2. Moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Once you know where your limiting beliefs come from, it’s time to actively challenge them. Pay attention to your thoughts and reframe them if they are limiting. For example, if you think “I am too introverted to apply for a leadership position”, take a step back and rethink what you just told yourself. Stop using you being an introvert (or whatever the source of your limiting belief is) as an excuse for why you are not the right person for the job. Instead, start thinking about what skills you have that are great for a leadership position and what skills you should develop further that will help you excel in such a position. Note, that it is not about becoming a wholly different person. It is about staying true to yourself while also growing and developing yourself further.
And then give it a go! Take on more managerial responsibilities and see how it goes. You may realize that you are actually a great fit for the position or you may realize that you actually do not enjoy that position. And both are totally fine! The key is that if you say “no” to something, it is because you truly think it’s not a good fit. And not because you let limiting beliefs stop you from pursuing your goals and dreams.
3. Seek out role models in your industry that are similar to you
The people you surround yourself with matter. A lot. Especially when you are part of an underrepresented group, finding role models in your industry that are similar to you is a gamechanger. Because when you see someone who is similar to you accomplishing what you would like to accomplish, then it is a living example of why your limiting beliefs are false. This will help you to challenge your beliefs and start being more confident in pursuing your goals.
But not only role models can have an impact on how you think about yourself. The people you choose to spend time with also have a strong influence. So, try to surround yourself with people who inspire you and avoid people who reinforce your limiting beliefs. Spend time with people who encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and who will celebrate your successes with you, no matter how large or small.
Join the Community!
We know that sometimes, small actions of reflection or chanfe quickly slip our mind and before we know it, we forget about them altogether. If you need an occasional reminder, join our community on Instagram – there, we help each other implement the advice we suggest in our blog posts. And we love to hear about your experiences and thoughts!
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October 14, 2021This article is based on the following sources and academic articles
Müller-Pinzler, L., Czekalla, N., Mayer, A. V., Stolz, D. S., Gazzola, V., Keysers, C., Paulus, F. M., & Krach, S. (2019). Negativity-bias in forming beliefs about own abilities. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 14416–14416. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50821-w
Judge, T. A., Jackson, C. L., Shaw, J. C., Scott, B. A., & Rich, B. L. (2007). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: The integral role of individual differences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 107–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.107
Bandura, A. (1997).Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman
Kim, J. G., Kim, H. J., & Lee, K.-H. (2019). Understanding behavioral job search self-efficacy through the social cognitive lens: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Vocational Behavior. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2019.01.004
Stajkovic, A. D., & Luthans, F. (1998). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 240–261. https://doi-org.proxy-ub.rug.nl/10.1037/0033-2909.124.2.240
Trautner, M., & Schwinger, M. (2020). Integrating the concepts self-efficacy and motivation regulation: How do self-efficacy beliefs for motivation regulation influence self-regulatory success? Learning and Individual Differences, 80, 101890. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101890
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