Have you ever heard of a limiting belief? It’s that little voice inside your head that tells you that you aren’t good enough or smart enough or too old or too young or you don’t have enough time.
Those beliefs can stem from past experiences, criticisms, or societal expectations. But the worst part, is that you believe them to be true.
Those beliefs stop you from achieving, accomplishing or even pursuing your dreams.
A limiting belief can also manifest as making you think that the things that you’re currently doing don’t matter or aren’t good enough. That the little steps aren’t important and, unless you’re making big moves, you aren’t successful.
I’ve certainly had my share of limiting beliefs over the years. I can even remember a vivid example of one of my first limiting beliefs when I was 6 years old.
Whether you’re aware of them or not, you have limiting beliefs. And you probably have all the way back to your childhood.
I can remember one of mine from when I was six years old.
I decided I was going to start a little business. We lived on a busy main street, and I thought, “What better way to make some money than by selling cups of Kool-Aid?” So, I went to my dad and asked him to help me build a stand.
Now if you want to check out the picture in the show notes, you’ll notice that I insisted on painting “Fruit Stand” across the top of the stand and selling not fruit, but kool-aid. I obviously have never been a marketing genius!
It wasn’t long though before I had my “Fruit Stand” up and running.
My goal was simple: I wanted to make some money and experience what it felt like to run my own little business.
My parents didn’t just let me wing it though—they guided me to figure out the cost of the cups, the napkins, the sugar, and the Kool-Aid mix. I worked out how much I would charge per cup and how much profit I’d make.
At six, I wasn’t thinking about scaling my business or creating an empire, but in my world, that fruit stand was my first real taste of entrepreneurship. It was thrilling!
The money started coming in, and I felt the excitement of counting my earnings.
When the Little HR Things Aren’t Enough
But one day, something happened that took my excitement to an even higher level. A reporter came by, a newspaper reporter. Yes, I know I’m dating myself. And he was doing a feature on young entrepreneurs.
He asked me if he could take my picture and interview me! I was beyond excited. I was going to be on the front page of the newspaper. Well, I had to ask my mom, right?
So I told him to wait a minute and I ran inside the house.
I was so excited. “Mom, mom, there’s a newspaper reporter outside that wants to take my picture and I’ll be in the newspaper.”
She smiled, and said that’s great. And then she looked at me and asked, “Did you leave all your money outside?”
Oops! In that moment, I realized something critical. I had been so consumed with the excitement of being featured in the paper, that I’d left my hard-earned cash completely unprotected on the table with a stranger in my front yard.
I rushed outside, praying it hadn’t been stolen. Thankfully, the money was still there.
But that moment stuck with me because it made me realize how easy it is to get caught up in big dreams and ignore the small, but essential details that can make all the difference.
It was a wake-up call about the importance of focus—and how easy it is to let limiting beliefs cloud our judgment, even at a young age.
Your HR Limiting Beliefs Will Hold You Back
You see, that day wasn’t just a lesson in managing money, it was also a powerful realization about limiting beliefs. Back then, I didn’t think I was capable of achieving big things.
My belief was that small actions, like counting my change or securing my cash, didn’t matter compared to the excitement of a newspaper feature.
I thought that the big moment, the recognition, would take care of everything else. I had this underlying belief that, because I was just a kid, the small details weren’t as important.
But that limiting belief nearly cost me the success I was already experiencing. I had allowed excitement about what could be —a story in the newspaper—to cloud my focus on the present moment.
And the truth is, in business, as in life, if you don’t focus on the basics, the big picture can easily crumble.
How To Break The Limiting Beliefs
So, how do you take this lesson into your HR life? Let me offer you three takeaways on how limiting beliefs can impact your productivity and success — and how you can push through them:
- Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs: Whether it’s about your ability to succeed or the importance of the small tasks, we often let these beliefs hold us back.
At six, I limited my own success by thinking success was only defined by a feature in the newspaper. If you find yourself thinking small actions don’t matter, challenge that belief! Every step you take, no matter how small, contributes to your greater success.
- Focus on the Fundamentals: In business, leadership, or life, we can’t let the big ideas overshadow the small ones. Don’t let the excitement of a potential opportunity distract you from what you’re doing today. It’s the foundation—the seemingly insignificant tasks—that truly set you up for success in the long run.
- Avoid Distractions: That reporter was an exciting distraction, but I let it take me away from my responsibility. We all face distractions, but to break free from limiting beliefs, we must stay focused. Whether it’s chasing the next shiny opportunity or focusing only on the big picture, distractions can prevent you from achieving your goals. Stick to your path, and prioritize the things that will take you where you want to go.
The fruit stand experience taught me more than I could’ve ever realized at the time. It wasn’t just about selling Kool-Aid. It was about recognizing how easy it is to allow limiting beliefs to stop us from succeeding.
We all have them—those little thoughts that tell you you’re not enough, or that certain tasks don’t matter. But when you push through those limiting beliefs and focus on the small steps, that’s when success happens.
HR Limiting Belief Challenge
This week, I want you to reflect on your own limiting beliefs. What small tasks are you ignoring because you think they don’t matter? How might those small actions actually be the key to unlocking your bigger goals?
Here’s how it works:
- Identify a Limiting Belief: Think about an area in your life where you’re holding yourself back. Is it your belief that the small tasks don’t matter? Or that you can’t achieve the bigger goals because of your current situation? Write it down.
- Challenge That Belief: Write down evidence that disproves this limiting belief. Look for moments in your life when the small details have paid off. Remind yourself that every step counts.
- Take Action: This week, focus on one small task you’ve been avoiding. Whether it’s an organizational task or something related to a big project, tackle it head-on, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Success doesn’t just come from big, exciting moments. It comes from overcoming the limiting beliefs that tell you the small stuff doesn’t matter. And when you focus on the basics—no matter how mundane—they can be the key to unlocking the big success you desire.
