By examining your beliefs about certain aspects of your life you can expose ones which hold you back and stop you from pushing yourself ahead and reaching your goals and aspirations.

A belief is something you believe to be true, with absolute certainty, no ifs, no buts, you are completely certain of the truth of the belief.

For example, 'the sun will rise tomorrow' is an example of a belief that is true! I'm sure you  would agree with that statement! It has been reinforced over time, so that in your mind there is no question!

It can be similar with beliefs you hold about yourself, and your capabilities, you are certain they are true. If however the belief is one which limits you in some way,it can hold you back and stop you from getting what you truly want in your life.
An example could be "I am a shy person, and I don't communicate well"

It is important to realise that your beliefs are not real, they are created by your interpretation of your experiences and reinforced over time, by other experiences which you interpret in the same way, layer upon layer over time.

Your beliefs control your life, how you do things, how you communicate, the way you raise your children, how much exercise you do, how healthy you are, how successful you are...

What you believe about your skills and capabilities can have an incredible effect on what you can achieve in your life, and your business.

Sometimes the belief is unconscious,you may not be even aware of it, except that you start to sabotage yourself without knowing why. An example of this could be if you believe unconsciously that you cannot be successful in business, no matter how hard you try, guess what? you won't be! it is as simple as that!

Your brain will seek out the answers which justify the belief, and reinforce it.

This can be seen when someone who believes they are shy and have trouble communicating, reinforces the belief when talking to others, by not saying much, becoming anxious when socialising, and then feeling worse when they think that others don't want to talk with them, therefore building on the belief that they are shy and cannot communicate well.

So what are some strategies you can use to change these beliefs which hold you back?
•    Identify the belief, exactly what do you believe?
•    Ask yourself: "Does this belief help me or hold me back ?"
•    Ask yourself 'What is another more helpful belief I can have? one which will support me?'
•    Write this new belief down and use it as a basis of an affirmation,
•    Remind yourself frequently of your new belief; this will help to reinforce it over time.

Henry Ford is often quoted as saying "If you believe you can or believe you can't you are right!"
How true is that!

About the author

I work with primarily with women in professional careers, including nurses, accountants, teachers and small business owners. I empower my clients to have greater confidence and belief in themselves. My extensive background in primary health as a practice nurse as well as my coach training and NLP give me a unique perspective to inspire, encourage and challenge my clients to reach for want they want.