Why Do We Limit Our Success?

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Tricia Ryan, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

In an article by American inspirational speaker and author Ester Hicks, the concept of people having an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success and creativity we allow ourselves to enjoy, is viewed as one of the ways that we limit our success. Programmed at an early age, the thermostat seems to hover around a consistent level much like the temperature in a room. Success seems to elude many of us as we go out and work as hard as we can to obtain the skills and knowledge to try to create the change and situations that will deliver the vision of what we hope to achieve.

Brian Tracy in his work supports the concept that people’s success quotient involves skills and knowledge – but most importantly attitude. Attitude has been identified by a Carnegie Foundation study as accounting for up to 85% of success.

Our personalities and attitudes are developed through our relationships and experiences. Our attitudes begin to develop in childhood and constantly evolve and change over the years through day-to-day interactions and experiences.

Personal development experts often offer suggestions for how attitudes can be changed and consequently evolve. Some of their suggestions include:

1. Identification and understanding of what you want to change
2. Using role models for inspiration and encouragement
3. Defining how the change of attitude will produce your desired results
4. Being with people that reflect and support the new attitudes
5. Believing in your ability to change and achieve your desired outcomes.

Yet, for many of us, this idea of a self-limit seems to persist. Ester Hicks suggests that the foundation for the Upper-Limit Problem is a set of four hidden barriers….

Hidden Barrier No. 1: Feeling Fundamentally Flawed Therefore You Play Small
The belief that one is fundamentally flawed is, in some ways, an immense barrier to optimal experience. As well, it brings with it a related fear: If you did make a commitment to fully using your unique gifts, you might fail. This belief tells you to play it safe and stay small. That way, if you fail, at least you fail small.

Hidden Barrier No. 2: Disloyalty and Abandonment.
This barrier is the feeling that I cannot expand to my full success because it would cause me to end up all alone, be disloyal to my roots and leave behind people from my past.

Hidden Barrier No. 3: Believing That More Success Makes You a Bigger Burden.
This barrier is the feeling that I cannot achieve my highest potential because I’d be an even bigger burden than I am now.

Hidden Barrier No. 4: The Crime of Outshining.
The unconscious mantra of the outshining barrier goes like this: I must not achieve my full success, because if I did I would outshine someone and make him or her look or feel bad. This barrier is very common among gifted and talented children.

As you can imagine, holding onto any of these thoughts which are usually false beliefs about ourselves, coupled with the need for an attitude shift and perhaps the need for a role model or new associates can be a powerful formula for change. Gleicher’s change formula (D X V X F> R) suggests that this change is usually motivated by our dissatisfaction coupled with a vision and an understanding of the first step, coming together and exceeding our resistance. Only then can we produce the necessary catalyst for change. Success, although very personal for each of us, does need a properly set internal thermostat along with the necessary mentors and goals to create that desired change for the better.

To understand and obtain the resources you need to progress with your goals and action plans, consider the FocalPoint Business Coaching Model. It will deliver progressive action by taking a “one step at a time approach”, unique to you, and build on your incremental successes.