4 Limiting Beliefs Blocking your Career Growth and Potential
Believe it or not, your career decisions (and career results) are dictated by your mindset -ie your thoughts and beliefs. These beliefs are in our subconscious mind, so we’re not aware of them but they are the the ones running the show. So if you’re running on anxiety, fear and doubt they will keep you stuck in misaligned, unfulfilling jobs and prevent you from taking the bold moves needed to get out and find work you enjoy.
Let’s shed some light on theses sneaky beliefs and how to break free from them. 🔦
1. “I can’t leave my safe job—it’s too risky.” 😵💫
Unfortunately in this day and age, job security and safety, no longer exist (if they ever did). We have seen time and time again that job loyalty means nothing anymore. The amount of layoffs we’ve experienced in the last few years is disheartening (I’ve been part of a few of them myself). But that goes to show, how this illusion of security could be holding you back in work that is no longer aligned with your values and goals. Jobs don’t create security, YOU do. Just because you deem it as “safe”, does not mean it’s good for you, your health or is fulfilling to you. And what many of us are really afraid of is jumping into the unknown without a parachute.
🧠 Mindset Reframe-
“Uncertainty means possibilities! If I’m uncertain on my next step, that means the world is my oyster and I have SO MANY possibilities to choose from. How exciting!”
🎯 Take Action-
A lot of people think there are only 2 options in your career- stay or leave, which is NOT true. There are many options in between to explore, and besides just because you’re unhappy doesn’t mean you up and quit now; there’s a lot of work to do before then! So before you freak out, just know you’re not making an big decisions YET.
Start small! The first step is recognizing what’s not working and what you’re looking for in your next career step role that is more aligned with you. Take inventory of what you like and don’t like at your job, understand your skills and strengths and start dreaming about your ideal future!
Psst! And just so you know- all of my clients have been afraid to leave their jobs at the beginning, but once they do the work, there is always something better on the other side!
2. “What if I make the wrong choice and regret it?” 😫
The fear of failure is a huge blocking point for a lot of people (if not everyone). Somewhere in childhood, most of us were shamed at some point for making mistakes (our school system didn’t help) which has led to a fear of making mistakes, and being shamed for it, later on in life.
This fear of making mistakes keeps us frozen in indecision and leads us to not making any moves at all! This is where we stay stuck- hating our job, knowing we can’t do it anymore but are terrified to make a mistake and choose something WORSE, because at least you know what to expect in your job, even if it’s awful.
You feel trapped and have no idea which direction you should go.
Ready to get your mind blown?
Our brains don’t care about keeping us happy, they are meant to keep us SAFE. They will always view familiarly as safety, even if what is safe (familiar) is TERRIBLE and making us miserable.
🤯🤯
THIS IS WHY LEAVING YOUR JOB, STARTING YOUR BUSINESS, AND MOVING ARE SO TERRIFYING. Because they are so new and unfamiliar. But everything that was once unfamiliar in your life, will become familiar.
🧠 Mindset Reframe-
“I learn more about myself with every new decision I make. No choice is ever 100% perfect, and that’s okay. If I’m not happy with a choice, I’m always allowed to make a new decision.”
🎯 Take Action-
Start thinking about your career as an EXPERIMENT, not something that you have to get perfect all the time. You only learn more about what you want and don’t want from DOING things (not thinking about doing things). You need to gather evidence to make better informed decisions. So start learning about yourself in new ways by trying new things.
You can also use the journal prompt “ If I could not fail, what would I do?”
3. “What will my coworkers and parents think? 🫣
You might be thinking:
“I don’t want to let my team down, they need me.”
“What if my boss hates me for leaving?”
“My parents are finally proud of my career, I can’t make a change.”
Fearing what others think about us keeps us playing small in our career and our lives. This keeps you working to meet others’ expectations rather than your own. A fear of judgement can play out as feeling guilt for leaving a job and letting people down (or not leaving at all) or people-pleasing—-feeling like you are responsible for everyone’s happiness.
But here’s the thing-you can never appease everyone at all times and trying to do so is a fast track to burn out and long-term dissatisfaction.
Since our brains are wired for belonging, disappointing others feels like rejection- which ultimately feels like death in our brains.
❗️Remember- our brains are wired for survival- they are just trying to keep us safe!
So what do you do about it? Reframe them!
🧠 Mindset Reframe-
“My career is my responsibility, I am not responsible for how other people view me. My job is to take care of my mind, body and soul. If others are disappointed by my actions, they have the ability to feel that emotion and move forward.”
🎯 Take Action-
Journaling can be a great resource to overcome a fear of judgement. Start by writing affirmations- write what you like about yourself and what you’re good at- revel in your natural skills and strengths to boost your self-confidence! You can also answer the following journal prompts:
Why am I so afraid of what _____ thinks about me?
What will happen if they do think ____?
How will I handle it?
If everyone in my life 100% supported me, what path(s) would I want to explore?
How can I prepare for difficult conversations with ____?
4. “I’ve already invested so much in this path—how can I start over?” 😣
“I worked so hard for so long, I can’t change career paths.”
Have you ever heard of the sunk cost fallacy? The sunk cost fallacy occurs when we feel that we have invested too much in something to quit. This causes us to stick with a plan (even if it no longer serves us) even when the costs clearly outweigh the benefits, because we have already invested so much time/energy/ resources into it.
This is a self-sabotaging belief that keeps us stuck in the past rather than looking forward to the future life and career we’re building!
Think of the example of a lawyer who is no longer aligned with law, but has spent so much time, energy and hours studying to pass the bar, she doesn’t want to make a transition. Or someone who wants to divorce their partner, but has been married for 20 years.
This is a scary place to be, we feel like we’re starting over from 0 again, but we’re not! We have a plethora of experience and skills we’ve learned over the years to use in the next step.
🧠 Mindset Reframe-
“I’m not starting over—I’m starting from experience. My career is allowed to evolve as I do.”
🎯Take Action-
List all the skills, knowledge and experience you’ve gained throughout your career. Take time to reflect and see what transferable skills you have that can be just as valuable in other career paths.
These 4 limiting beliefs are SO common—and normal!—but we get to decide how long they slow us down.
Career growth and reaching your greatest potential requires courage, self-awareness, and giving yourself permission to evolve- even if that means steering away from original plans, your parents’ wishes and making some mistakes (ie- learning) along the way.
Action Steps to Break Through Career-Limiting Beliefs
Journaling:
What belief from this list is the most true for me right now?
In what ways is it protecting me?
In what ways is it holding me back?
How is it showing up in my life?
How do I want to be showing up in my life differently?
Reframe It: Write a new belief statement that is more empowering to where you want to go.
Take One Small Step: What’s 1 small step you can take that is alignment with were you want to go in your career?
Want more Support? 👇🏼
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