SIX(6) THINGS YOU CAN DO TO OVERCOME SELF LIMITATION

The Limitations we experience as individuals, stems from the things we believe(things we accept as true) about ourselves. These limitations are more of a function of our internal belief system than of external factors.

Fear is one of the major cause of self limitation. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of criticism and judgement, fear of rejection. Other causes of self limitation are lack of optimism, mindset stagnation, actions that rebel against growth and improvement, lack of vision, mediocrity and a host of other things.

Research shows that children are born with just two (2) fears-the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Every other fear we have as humans are fears we learnt as we grew older.

There are also certain habits we possess that we believe to be “our nature” but in essence, they are habits and beliefs that became part of our self-concept because we learnt them; believed them about ourselves and eventually gave these beliefs and habits the power to control us and determine what we say, what we do, how we think, where we choose to go and who we choose to associate with.

In the article Why your self-concept can limit or propel you I explained how a person’s self-concept is formed.

Self limitation can rob you of opportunities, a chance to grow, to change, to advance and to utilize your abilities. It can stop you from achieving your goals, dreams and aspirations. It can take from you, a precious and limited resources-TIME.

Getting over self limitation is possible if you believe it is and if you are willing to work on it.

Here are six things that you can do to get over self limitations and begin to maximise your potentials.

1. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE LIMITING YOURSELF

A remedy cannot be administered if a diagnosis isn’t carried out. To overcome self limitation, the first thing is to affirm that you are limited by your own beliefs and habits.

Norman Vincent Peale stated that “self knowledge is the beginning of self correction.”

If a change must take place in any area of your life, you have to first admit that there is a problem with that particular area. Once you are able to recognise that you’re limiting yourself, finding a suitable remedy becomes easy

2. CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS

Self limitations begin with thoughts in the mind. What thoughts do you have in your mind? Are they limiting thoughts?

Thoughts that suggest that you are not good enough, thoughts that suggest that your vision for life isn’t achieveable, that because you come from a certain place in the world, you can’t be relevant. These are examples of thoughts of self limitation.

You should learn to object to them whenever they arise in your mind. Thoughts that suggest that, because you are not wealthy, not successful yet, not influencing people, married or single, young or old, employed or out of job, that you cannot achieve your dreams. Control the thoughts that arise in your mind.

Eschew beliefs of doubt and incompetence. Stop telling yourself what you cannot do and what you do not have. Start professing what you are capable of. Think and talk excellently about your current abilities, experiences, knowledge and skills.

3. MAKE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS HABITUALLY

Positive affirmations can heal the mind of negative and limiting thoughts. Remind yourself of how gifted you are by making positive affirmations about yourself always. Speak positivity and possibility to yourself.

Do you want to be wealthy and successful? Then make it a habit to always say “I will be wealthy and successful.” Do you want to be happy? Make it habit to always say “I’m happy.” Keep thoughts of adequacy, competence, success, wealth and progress in your mind always. Believe that you deserve the best, believe that you can achieve anything you desire. Believe that you have potentials that are worth utilizing.

Understand that you have been given those potentials for a purpose. Strive to find that purpose. Whatever you desire to accomplish, write them out and begin to speak positively about them to yourself.

Some of my favourite words to say are “I’m a star and stars are created to shine.” These words remind me of the need to continue to chase my dreams and refuse to hide my abilities.

4. UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU CAN’T CONTROL

You can control your actions but you cannot determine or control the actions of other individuals. As mentioned earlier, fear of criticism, rejection and judgement can cause people to harbour self limiting beliefs.

Not knowing what people would say, how people would react, and If they would be supportive has made many individuals keep their abilities, skills, experiences, values and ideas to themselves. You can decide to put out contents on social for instance, but you can’t control people’s reactions to your contents. You can put out sales copies for your products but you can’t control people’s decisions to purchase your products. It is totally their choice. It’s not your fault that people don’t engage your contents or buy your products or even react the way you desire.

With this understanding, don’t be bothered by people’s reactions towards you whether in form of criticism, judgement, rejection or even neglect. Their actions are factored by their choices, which is something you can’t completely control, so why bother? Avoid being debased, discouraged and pushed back by people’s reactions and opinions. Do what you need to do, believe in the value of what you have to offer and continue to show up.

5. MANAGE YOUR CIRCLE OF PEOPLE.

The kind of people you choose to surround yourself with have a huge influence on you. Whether physically or on social media. You have to be very intentional about the people you invest your attention and time on.

They should be people who can advance you. People who acknowledge and believe in your abilities. People who understand the value of vision, purpose and relevance. People who can spur you to be better. People who can enlighten you, influence you and cause you to develop new values and standards. Avoid people who are mediocre in their thoughts and in their lifestyle. Keep a distance from people who do not encourage you to grow and try new things.

Avoid people who do not place value on growth, change, personal development, goal setting, discipline and dedication. Limit the time you spend with people who do not have similar visions and aspirations like you do. Move out of your comfort zone, find new network of individuals with similar aspirations.

6. PLAN AND EXECUTE GOALS

Goal setting involves lots of action which is a great remedy for self limitation. Schedule activities that can help you overcome your fears and limiting beliefs.

Create plans to read books, attend trainings, meet new people, engage in activities of interest, talk to someone who can help, build confidence, discover your passion and potentials, learn new skills, share your thoughts and experiences. Create a strategy to execute your planned activities.

Don’t just see them merely as activities you need to engage in but see them as goals you need to achieve to become better. One thing about achieving a goal, no matter how insignificant it may seem is that, it builds your confidence. You love, trust and respect yourself more. And the more confident you get, the stronger your zeal and the more goals you will be able to achieve.