Over the past few days, I’ve noticed a recurring theme. I’ve come face to face with the awareness of some things that have been limiting beliefs in my life.

The hardest thing about limiting beliefs is when we don’t even realize we have them. Many times, it takes someone else talking about them to see that we might have that same issue or sometimes it takes talking one-on-one with someone who is asking the tough questions.

Either way, we can easily feel defeated when things aren’t changing or improving for us. As for myself, my limiting beliefs often hold me back from speaking my truth and increasing my income.

Talk about two large contributing factors to being an entrepreneur!!

No wonder I’ve not achieved the levels of success I’ve dreamed of. But this doesn’t mean I can’t rewrite the script around my life. It’s only going to happen when I focus on the thoughts in my head. I must change them so the circular pattern of thoughts – feelings – actions will begin forming the loops I desire.

Just this month, my boys and I have been studying about how we treat others should reflect how we want to be treated. We start our mornings with a biblical based discussion, and I typically remind them throughout the day that whatever they wish someone would do to them, they should do to others.

We live with ourselves every moment of everyday, but we don’t think of ourselves as an “other”. I know I don’t always treat myself the way I’d love to be treated. It’s sad, I know, but I am my own worst critic. I know exactly when I don’t keep my word, live up to my expectations, or forgive myself for messing something up.

I don’t celebrate all my wins, gift myself something nice when I’ve been knocking out my weekly goals for a while, or even give myself a high-five for getting through the day. I’ve even gotten out of practice writing my gratitude for the day like I had started after New Year’s.

What’s the reason I can’t achieve the bold actions or financial goals I set?

I let the negatives take on too much weight. I keep repeating my limiting beliefs to myself and the world mirrors them to me. Like a wise man said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Mahatma Ghandi)

Another wise saying can be found in Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

If I’m not making the necessary changes and sowing good seeds, then it’s obvious I’m doing the opposite. I’m stewing in my current predicament and putting in the same old seeds hoping for a new plant to sprout. (No money tree growing here.)

You already know what’s going to happen for me, don’t you?

How do I change this?

I have to begin with me. I must flip my current beliefs and rewrite them into an empowering statement. A recent friend I met, reminded me that I must state things in the present tense. Don’t add the word “yet” (yet it like saying someday, but when do you see someday on the calendar?). Instead speak about these things as though I already have them or they are present in my life.

What’s that going to look like?

It may look like this: I can speak my truth and I won’t be ashamed about it. I can afford the things I desire because I work hard to sustain an income.

Instead of dwelling on a fact I may not be able to change, I can focus on my perspective of it and spin it in a positive light.

Often, we are one sentence away from changing our futures. When we learn how to write down our limiting beliefs and reverse them into a positive affirmation, we take away all the power they had to drag us down and instead make them a strength to lift us up.

It doesn’t happen immediately, but the more we think on the positive view and consciously speak it aloud, the more natural it will become. The more something is repeated around us, the more we believe it.

I love this quote from Fumio Sasaki: “It isn’t talent, it is simply continuing.”

It’s true when it comes to this. Changing our limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs isn’t a talent that only a select few are lucky to achieve. They’ve simply continued rewriting the script in their heads for so long that it’s become their new way of thinking – feeling – acting.

We can show that type of resilience too when we make the conscious effort to update the outdated messages in our brain with ones that actually serve us.

It just takes 3 steps:

1. Write down the limit about yourself that you believe to be true.
2. Write the inverse of that limit.
3. Repeat it to yourself daily until it becomes your new belief.

Personally, I’ve started working on this today. I keep a journal with me all the time because it’s just a part of me at this point; I write. I make notes, I copy things I want to remember or that I absolutely love, I remind myself of important dates or tasks, etc.

I occasionally add details from my day or important happenings, but I more so use this journal as a tool to self-discovery and business formation. I feel like I am constantly evolving what I do and how I want to be known.

When I write down an idea, I can later see how it actually came to be either on its own or because I took the time to write out a plan.

I truly believe the same will happen when I write out the belief’s I have about myself that limit me. If I write out the inverse of that, I believe that it can be true as well. Having the notebook with me daily, I can flip back to that page to reflect and repeat aloud the words until my conscious and subconscious believes them.

I know you can do these three steps too. If you have the willpower, you have the way. It may not be easy on your own and if you feel you need that accountability, I encourage you to seek out someone who can help with this. I’m not a certified life coach and I can’t guarantee these exact steps will work, but they are my observation.

If you can afford to, pay for a coach. If you have a friend that also needs to work on this, champion each other. If you are a DIYer to the core, set reminders on your phone to tell you every day what your new beliefs are.

I’ve learned by heart that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) and it reminds me that I need to be assured of the new beliefs I want for myself. Doubting will only get me right back to where I was before. If I don’t feel assured of them, I’m going to keep repeating them to myself until I do.

Today is the day we stop letting our self-inflicted limits define who we are and control what we can achieve. Set yourself FREE.