A couple of weeks ago I blogged about one of my clients who was holding himself back due to some of his own limiting beliefs about his job search and what he truly wanted out of a new job. In order to support him in moving forward, it was important to first, help him recognize what his limiting beliefs were, and then refocus them so that he could move beyond what was holding him back.
Recognizing limiting beliefs is the first step and can sometimes be as simple as pointing out the actual belief or story that is holding someone back. Often it’s more difficult to recognize these beliefs within ourselves yet can be so clear to others. This was evident with my client. He was unaware that his beliefs about how difficult it would be to get a new job and that his ideal job did not exist were actually perpetuating that situation for him. It was very clear to me, as his coach, and became much clearer to him when I pointed it out to him. Yet, on his own, he might not have recognized that. If you are feeling stuck in some aspect of your career or life yet not sure what’s holding you back, it may help to ask others (whom you trust) what they think might be holding you back. That could be what you need to assist you in recognizing your limiting belief.
The next step is to refocus that belief. This takes a bit of effort because it requires thinking of that belief in a new and different way; in a way that supports the perspective you are seeking. It is about changing the meaning of what you believe which therefore changes your mind and changes your results. My client needed to refocus or reframe his belief to one that supported his ability to find his ideal next opportunity. As was mentioned in the prior blog post about him, he also realized he didn’t really want a “job” but wanted an opportunity to build a business. Through coaching sessions, we built upon his confidence in the area of building a business (which he had successfully done in the past), which supported the beginning of reframing his beliefs about his ability to acquire such an opportunity.
From there, we continued to focus on his excitement about acquiring this type of opportunity and the positive impact he could make for a company by taking a piece of their business and developing it. This also supported the process of reframing his limiting beliefs because the more positive he felt, the more eager he was to seek out these opportunities. Suddenly the “job search” was no longer an arduous task but something that energized him. Because he was emitting positive energy, he got back the same type of results and has since began working for a company where he is doing exactly what he wants: developing a brand new part of their business.
It all starts with recognizing what belief is holding you back and then refocusing your thoughts to support a new and different perspective – one that can change what you believe and, as with my client, change your results.
