There’s going to come a point in your business, whether for yourself or for your clients (but let’s be honest, most likely both!), you’ll have to shift some uncomfortable mindset blocks, especially if you’re a coach. Nine times out of ten, the reason my clients struggle to achieve a goal of theirs is because of an self-limiting belief, rather than missing a piece of the strategy. Being able to coach my clients through their thought patterns, uncover the source of their resistance, and paving a way forward to achieving their dreams is the most invaluable skill I have in my coaching toolkit.
Today, I’m sharing exactly how I unblock and shift those deep-rooted self-limiting beliefs and mindset blocks, both for myself and for my clients. By the end of this post, you’re going to know my 8-step process that gets my clients feeling like a fire has been lit underneath them and brings heaps of clarity on the way towards their goals.
How to Shift Deep-Rooted Blocks (in Yourself and For Your Clients)
What are self-limiting beliefs or mindset blocks?
Mindset blocks are a psychological obstacle or limiting mindset that prevents your ability to complete crucial tasks and achieve success. These invisible barriers act as limitations to your productivity, preventing you from reaching your full potential.
Mental blocks happen when we are paralysed in our own thought-process, unable to take action towards our goals. You know you’re caught in a limiting belief when you are in a cycle of procrastination, chronic fatigue, self-depreciation, and frustration.
These beliefs can act as weights strapped to your ankle, slowing you down and making it harder to reach your goals. More often than not, as entrepreneurs, we’re natural born hustlers. Because of that, when we feel resistance, our instinct is to push harder against it.
But the only secret to success? Work smarter, not harder. And until you do the inner work and address your mindset block(s), the weights strapped around your ankle are going to be fighting against you.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: the most common mindset blocks that crop up for entrepreneurs.
Short-Term Focus
Instead of thinking of your goals for the year and your work as a greater mission, you only focus on the here and now, and then spend hours stuck on a small inconsequential task letting it grow bigger and bigger in your mind.
Fear of Failure
You struggle to take action if there is even a shred of doubt, and you try to plan your way to success, avoiding failure as much as you can, which also means you evidently avoid success.
Imposter Syndrome
You don’t feel worthy of your desires and goals, even if you have the skills and/or experience to achieve them. Your sense of self-worth and tendency to criticise yourself has caused you to struggle to be your own cheerleader, but rather become your very own heckler.
Scarcity Mindset
This is the belief that there is a limited amount of money or resources available, which can lead to fear, worry, and anxiety about money or your success. You feel resentful when others achieve success or have money because you feel as if they’re taking from you or from others who are without, and you feel guilt when you make money or achieve success yourself as if you have taken from others. You are easily overwhelmed with stress and anxiety that time, resources or money is running out.
Procrastination
This is a tendency to put off tasks and decisions, which can result in missed opportunities and stalled progress. A form of self-sabotage, there is usually an underlying reason for why you are procrastinating, whether it’s because you deeply fear what lies on the other side of the work, the work feels too overwhelming, or you’re in a state of stress that means you cannot focus.
Perfectionism
This is an obsessive focus on achieving flawless results that can lead to missed deadlines and being overworked. You put off ever completing the work because it never feels good enough, and when it is complete, you do not feel a sense of pride for long as you quickly grow to find new things to pick apart and criticise about it.
Overwork
Many believe that working non-stop is the key to success or that success only comes from hard work, but this can actually lead to burnout and lower productivity. It’s important to understand that long hours don’t always equal success. To maintain overall well-being and achieve sustainable success, it’s crucial to find a balance between work and personal life. This means setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and taking breaks when necessary. By doing so, individuals can avoid the negative effects of overworking and ultimately achieve greater success in the long term.
To lighten the load, you need to follow these eight steps:
Step 1 – Identify your current story
What story have you been believing?
When you think about your deeper desires and bigger goals, what are the first thoughts that come to mind?
Take note of these thoughts.
Identify the limiting belief or mindset blocks. What is feeling heavy for you right now? Where are you noticing a lot of resistance in your life? What belief is that centred around?
Step 2 – Uncover the evidence
Uncover the supporting evidence that you have acquired over time to back the belief or mindset blocks up.
Where did you first learn this belief? Why have you learnt it?
What stories or past experiences in your life have reinforced this belief?
Step 3 – Identify its purpose
Ask yourself why this belief has served you thus far.
We’re not sadists. We don’t love to believe things that intentionally hurt us. Most likely, the belief was serving you in some way.
Why were/are you attached to this belief? How did/does it serve you? Why does it no longer serve you in this season of life?
Step 4 – Release your past story
Ask yourself if you’re ready to release this belief.
Now that you know how it has served you, weigh it against the thing you truly desire.
Which is more important to you in this season of life – your comfort (the way it was serving you) or your desire? Are you ready to release this belief so you can enter a new season?
Step 5 – Disprove the evidence
Go through the evidence that supported your past belief and explain why it is not true.
Part of the release is debunking your old beliefs so you can let them go with ease.
What evidence is there that counters this old belief? Explain fully for each individual point and argue against it.
Step 6- Write your new story
Forge your new belief (and your new identity).
You are the creator of your reality. This is your time to write your new path. Get behind your new story.
What new belief and identity do you want to acquire? Who do you want to become? What do you need to believe in order to become him/her/them? How does this new story serve you? How does this help you get more of what you want?
Step 7- Find new evidence
Find (or build) the new evidence you need to support this new belief.
You don’t have to rely on existing evidence. You can build new evidence starting with your small habits to reinforce this new story. If making money is easy, how can you start ACTING in that way to support this?
Where can you find this evidence in your life already? Be intentional about what you consume, who you surround yourself with, and the habits you create to support this new belief and identity. Shifting your external environment can shift your internal environment.
Step 8- Live your new story
Start taking daily intentional action that allows you to create and experience your new story.
You don’t have to wait until you see results to experience the joy. Think about how you can start to experience this new reality from day one.
How would the new version of me show up? What decisions would she make? How would she move through life? What would she do?
Let’s take an example to understand how this process works. Suppose your limiting belief is “Making money is hard work.” You need to find the evidence that supports this belief, such as “My parents always struggled to earn every last penny.” Now, ask yourself how this belief has served you so far. It may have removed the pressure to try and succeed because if you didn’t make much money in your business, you could blame it on the fact that the odds were already stacked against you.
Next, ask yourself if you’re ready to release this belief. You may want to make a lot of money to treat your parents and family to the life they deserve. Your new belief and identity could be “Making money gets to be easy because it’s a choice.” Find new evidence to support this belief, such as seeing countless women online who have come from similar backgrounds and are succeeding. Every day, you can sell your offer, and every time you sell, it gets easier and easier for you to make money.
By following these steps, you can learn how to shift your deep-seated mindset blocks and achieve your goals. Remember, take small steps towards your desired outcome and be intentional about the beliefs and habits that you cultivate along the way.
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