Break Free From Self-Limiting Thoughts

Who’s ready for a perspective shift? It’s time to change the way we think about our thoughts and create the life we want to live. Let’s get started!

Take a moment to reflect on the factors in your life that might be holding you back … lack of money, no time, not enough experience or skills are probably all on your mental list. But did you ever realize that it might be something closer to home, that your own thoughts may be limiting your success? ???

It’s true! Sometimes it’s hard to see how much we have the power to affect the course of our lives. We might think that change needs to come from dramatic, and often costly, shifts, like making a move or going back to school, but it doesn’t always have to begin on such a grand scale. When we start by changing the way we think about ourselves and our abilities, we are really taking the first steps toward personal success.

Our thoughts have the power to either boost us up or hold us back. Picture this:?

Your finances are a mess, but you’ve already accepted as fact that numbers aren't your thing so there’s nothing you can do about it. ??♂? As long as you stick to that belief, there’s no way to muster the courage to tackle your financial mess. So everything stays the same - the money problems continue and you feel like there’s no way out.

In order to change, we’ve got to ditch those self-imposed limits and take that first step, you know? As long as we cling to thoughts that hold us back, we’ll stay stuck.? By prematurely declaring something undoable, we surrender before even trying. Why bother with something if we're convinced it's a lost cause? That's a one-way ticket to nowhere.

It might sound clichéd, but the key lies in genuinely believing in ourselves and our ability to overcome hurdles. Fostering the belief that we can achieve something ignites motivation. The act of trying becomes more appealing, and attempting leads to progress. This positive feedback loop becomes a catalyst for proving to ourselves that we are capable, dismantling lingering self-doubts along the way.

So, how do we make it happen? Changing your thought processes isn’t easy, but it’s definitely figureoutable! In her book Everything is Figureoutable, Marie Forleo, an American life coach, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, offers guidelines to creating a self-empowerment mindset and reaching your goals.?

We’ve broken it all down into actionable steps you can take to train your brain to make success not just a destination but a series of achievable milestones.

?? Take an Inventory of Your Thoughts: Pay attention to how you think about yourself and the challenges you face. Is your instinct to think “That will never work” or do you have an “I think I can, I think I can” kind of mindset?

?? Hit Pause: When you catch yourself having (and believing) self-limiting thoughts, it’s time to hit the pause button before those thoughts take root and become how you define yourself.

??? Reframe It: Try to replace your negative thought with the idea that every problem is solvable. You might not have the solution right then and there, but we assume there's one waiting to be discovered. Turn the situation into a "figure it out and implement it" mission - much more fun and infinitely more rewarding!

?? Don’t Forget: Positive thinking is great, but it's not a magic wand that makes problems disappear. The key is not just believing blindly that everything will be ok, but genuinely believing that we have within ourselves the ability to solve problems and overcome hurdles.

Remember, it's not about erasing difficulties with positive thoughts; it's about embracing challenges with a belief in our own capabilities. So, go ahead, unleash your potential, and let the journey begin!

It’s not easy to fit a mental health self-check into your busy schedule, is it? Cooks Who Care is here to help. Each week, we send a Mental Health Fitness Newsletter with tips and resources like this, for professionals like you. Sign up today and we’ll start the journey to self-empowerment together!?