Let Go of Your Limiting Beliefs and Set Big Goals for 2012
(Blog produced by thebestof Bromsgrove blogger Hannah Smith)
Last week thebestof Bromsgrove members met at The Greyhound for our weekly meeting. A number of members arrived, ready to discuss limiting beliefs and fears in business.
The night was filled with plenty of debate and discussion, and members opened up to one another about their personal fears and goals, and how the two often go hand in hand.
What is a Limiting Belief?
A limiting belief is a perception that prevents progress.
According to ‘Captain’ Jeff Scarlett each and every one of us has a set of limiting beliefs, and they hold us back. All too often, people underestimate their potential, because they’re too frightened to aim high.
Limiting beliefs are not limited to business owners. They also play a big part in our personal lives. Every day, people do things because they genuinely believe that they could not achieve what they’d really like to achieve.
When we think about our goals, we become divided. A part of us wants to aim high, while the other part of us tells us not to be so ruddy stupid, and to be more realistic. More often than not, the latter voice wins, and we set ourselves goals that we feel are achievable, as opposed to monumental.
More often than not, limiting beliefs are founded through fear. The fear of failure can be incredibly overwhelming, forcing us to forget our big goals and to aim for something that feels more comfortable.
What Constitutes as a Limiting Belief?
Different people have different limiting beliefs, and even the strongest of us can succumb to a limiting belief.
Donnah Morgan, an incredibly focused and strong business woman, explained that her limiting belief was her age. Andrew Phillips revealed his fears about being rejected by big corporations. He explained that he feared being seen as a one man band who couldn’t cope with the needs and requirements of big companies.
A few weeks ago, I would have told you that one of my limiting beliefs was that no one would take me seriously. Now, that limiting belief has been rejected, because my experiences of networking have taught me to believe otherwise.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
Ian Prowse is quite possibly one of the few people that has learnt to overcome that inner voice and all of its negativity. Ian runs both thebestof Bromsgrove and the Entrepreneurs Circle (for Birmingham, Solihull, Bromsgrove and Redditch).
Ian has some massive goals for 2012, and while he acknowledges that a small part of him is worried that he might not meet his goals, this doesn’t stop him aiming much higher than many of thebestof and EC franchisees.
Ian is empowered by his ideas, and the ideas of others. Having worked with Ian closely over the last few weeks, I can honestly say that I concur with Ian. Somehow, his incredible energy and inspiration has rubbed off, and now I am setting goals for 2012 that I wouldn’t even have dreamt of 12 weeks ago.
All in all, I think we all learnt something that night about the incredible impact fear and limiting beliefs can have on our personal and professional lives. It felt good to discuss these fears openly, and it felt good to know that none of us are alone.
So many of us keep our limiting beliefs and fears a secret, and I’ve come to realise that it’s not only good to share your goals and your vision, it’s also good to share your fears and limitng beliefs. The very act of discussing your fears can help dispel them; and when that’s not enough, you can always count on your network to help you generate ideas that will help you to overcome the negative voice within.
Contributing Members
A number of members contributed to the discussion, including:
Donnah Morgan of abfablife
Bill Jackson of Alert Alarms
Keith Hearnshaw of Utility Warehouse
Andrew Phillips of Andrew Phillips Insurance Brokers Ltd
Paul Hodges of Recruit 12
Gareth Hodges of GJH Electrical
Nathan Littleton of Future Visions
David Henderson and Hannah Smith of Blue Fusion Studios Ltd
Helen and Jeff Scarlett of Tupello Property Services
The meeting was chaired by Ian Prowse of thebestof Bromsgrove.
Your Thoughts
Thebestof Bromsgrove would love to hear your thoughts on fears and limiting beliefs.
What are your biggest fears in life and business?
Have you found a way of overcoming your limiting beliefs?
Are you setting big goals for 2012, and if so what are they?
Feel free to openly share your limiting beliefs and fears with us online. Alternatively, if you are a business owner registered with thebestof Bromsgrove, why not attend one of our weekly meetings?
Weekly meetings are held every Thursday evening from 6pm to 7pm in The Greyhound.