Reframing Limiting Beliefs

You’ve recognized that you have limiting beliefs and decided to overcome them. You’ve identified your limiting beliefs. What now? The next step is to reframe your limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs. You don’t have to work on all of your limiting beliefs at once; if you have identified several, it’s better to start with only one or a handful of them. Select one or more before you move on.

The Framing of Limiting Beliefs

Limiting beliefs can be identified by their framing, that is, how the belief statement is constructed. The sentence structure tells you what type of belief it is. All limiting beliefs start with something like the following:

“I can’t…”

“I don’t…”

“I could never…”

“I’m not…”

“It’s always been this way.”

These statements are disempowering. It makes it seem like things can’t be changed or made better. Look at the limiting beliefs you’re working on and reject them as untrue. Then you can change each one into an Empowering Belief.

The Framing of Empowering Beliefs

Empowering beliefs are framed differently than limiting beliefs. They’re the opposite. Rather than using “can’t” or “never” statements, they use positive language that says you can do the things you want or be the way you want to be. They’re constructed in the following way:

“I can…”

“I am…”

“I’m working on…”

“I do…”

“Things can change…”

"I Will..."

How to Reframe Your Limiting Beliefs

Now that you know the difference, you can reframe each of your limiting beliefs. Don’t do this in your head; work it out on a sheet of paper or with a word processor. Feel free to play around with the wording until you find something you like. You can add extra words if you want to make the empowering beliefs clearer. These examples will give you some ideas for how to do it.

Limiting Belief: I can’t do this.

Empowering Belief: I can learn how to do this.

Limiting Belief: I’m not good at this.

Empowering Belief: I’ll get better with practice.

Limiting Belief: I’m bad at relationships.

Empowering Belief: I’m working on becoming a better person and partner and am becoming better at relationships.

Limiting Belief: I could never do that.

Empowering Belief: Maybe I could. I’ll never know if I don’t try. I can learn.

Limiting Belief: I’m not a likable person.

Empowering Belief: I am likable. Plenty of people like me. I’m a good person.

Limiting Belief: I can't find the time to work out.

Empowering Belief: I will take the time to work out.

You've got this!