I always blamed external factors for my lack of achievement in life: lack of time, financial constraints, even other people. I never realized what my largest obstacle was until I decided to introspect on my situation. That’s when I stumbled across my self-limiting beliefs.

You would have never known I had such a challenge. I appeared confident on the outside, ready to take on any challenge.

But deep down inside of me there was a tiny voice that whispered doubts and fears to me in moments of vulnerability. “You’re not good enough,” it would tell me. “People like you don’t achieve things like that,” it went on and on.

This internal chatter wasn’t just noise, it shaped my decisions and actions. It held me back from opportunities I could have taken.

But none of it was true.

If you’re reading this and you’ve ever felt stuck, incapable, or like you’re just “not enough,” chances are, your self-limiting beliefs are doing the same thing to you.

Here’s how I came to realize these beliefs were sabotaging me, how I learned to identify them, and the steps I took to break free.

How to Identify Self-Limiting Beliefs

To break free from these beliefs, you must first acknowledge that they exist.

For a long time, I didn’t even know I had them. It took a moment of reflection — sitting down with my thoughts and analyzing my patterns — to uncover the hidden layers.

Here are some ways I started identifying my own self-limiting beliefs:

1. Listen to Your Inner Dialogue: Pay attention to the thoughts that come up when you’re about to do something outside your comfort zone. For me, it often sounded like, “You’re going to fail,” or “Why bother trying?” If your inner dialogue feels more critical than supportive, it’s a sign something’s up.

2. Examine Your Fears: What scared me the most wasn’t the fear of failure but the fear of being judged for it. I started asking myself what I was actually afraid of and why. This was eye-opening because I realized I was holding back, not because I couldn’t do something, but because I was afraid of how others might perceive me.

3. Look at Your Patterns: Are there areas in your life where you consistently fall short or stop trying? That’s a huge indicator of limiting beliefs at work. For me, I noticed it in my career. Every time I was about to make a big move, I’d pull back at the last minute, convincing myself it wasn’t the right time or I wasn’t ready.

4. Challenge Your Excuses: We all have excuses, but the difference is whether they’re grounded or in reality or in self-sabotage. I used to make excuses like “I don’t have enough resources” or “This isn’t the right opportunity.” It took some deep reflection to see that these were just masks for my insecurities.

How to Deprogram Yourself

Once I was able to pinpoint my self-limiting beliefs, I started working on deprogramming myself. This wasn’t an overnight process, but with consistent effort, I began to break free from the shackles I had placed on myself.

1. Question Everything: Every time a limiting thought surfaced, I learned to question it. Instead of automatically accepting “I’m not good enough,” I asked myself, “Is that true? What evidence do I have for this belief?” Most times, I had no real evidence, just outdated narratives I’d adopted over the years.

2. Replace Negative Thoughts with Empowering Ones: This was key for me. I replaced thoughts like “I can’t” with “I’m learning” or “I’ll figure it out.” It sounds simple, but our brains respond to the words we feed it. Slowly, I started retraining my mind to expect positive outcomes rather than dreading failure.

3. Surround Yourself with the Right Energy: I realized I was hanging out in environments that reinforced my self-limiting beliefs. Whether it was friends who doubted me or negative media that constantly highlighted fear and lack, and a shift away from this was needed. Surrounding myself with people who supported my growth, people who believed in possibility, made a huge difference.

4. Take Small, Consistent Action: One of the biggest breakthroughs for me was realizing that I didn’t need to take huge leaps to succeed. I just needed to start small and stay consistent. Every time I acted, no matter how small, it chipped away at those self-imposed limitations. Each success built my confidence.

5. Practice Self-Compassion: This one was tough for me. I used to be so hard on myself for not getting it right immediately. But I learned to approach my journey with more compassion. Every step forward, no matter how wobbly, was progress. And that was worth celebrating.

The Outcome? A Newfound Freedom

Finally breaking free from self-limiting beliefs has been one of the most liberating experiences of my life.

It wasn’t easy, and I still have moments when those old voices try to creep back in, but now, I know how to silence them.

I started to take risks I wouldn’t have before and pursue the dreams I had shelved for far too long. Most importantly, I learned to believe in myself — not in an arrogant way, but in a way that allows me to see my potential and take action on it.

If you’ve been feeling like something is holding you back, I encourage you to take a closer look at your internal beliefs.

Ask yourself, “What stories am I telling myself?” And more importantly, “Are they really true?”

The journey to deprogramming your self-limiting beliefs isn’t a straight line, but it’s one worth taking.