Breaking Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs with the CDC Approach

What’s Holding You Back Isn’t Reality - It’s the Story You Tell Yourself

• “I’m not good at networking.”
• “I’m too old to switch careers.”
• “I don’t have what it takes to be a leader.”

These aren’t facts. They’re self-limiting beliefs - stories you’ve repeated so often that they feel like the truth.

But here’s the reality: The only thing stopping you is the belief itself.

The most successful people aren’t necessarily the smartest or most talented - they’re the ones who refuse to let limiting beliefs dictate their future. The good news? You can rewrite your story.

And it starts with three powerful steps: Clarify, Decide, Create.

Step 1: Clarify - Identify the Thought That’s Holding You Back

Self-limiting beliefs run in the background like a faulty operating system. You don’t notice them, but they influence everything.

Example:

I used to hold back my opinions, even when I thought they were important. I believed others didn’t care about what I had to say.

Through coaching, I realized:

• My belief stemmed from moments when people didn’t react to my words. I took it personally.
• Later, I discovered that people often just didn’t hear me, because I wasn’t speaking loud enough.

Once I identified the real issue, the belief started losing its grip.

📌 Action for You:

• Write down one belief that’s holding you back.
• Ask yourself: Where did this belief come from? Is it actually true?
• Find evidence that contradicts it.

Step 2: Decide – Rewrite the Narrative

Once you see your belief for what it is - a thought, not a fact - you have a choice:

• Keep believing it.
• Or replace it with a new, empowering story.

I decided to stop saying, “People don’t want to hear my opinion” and replaced it with: “Maybe I wasn’t loud enough. Let’s say it again more clearly.”

📌 Action for You:

• Choose a new belief that serves you.
• Say it out loud. Repeat it daily. Make it a mantra.

Step 3: Create – Prove the New Story with Action

Beliefs don’t change just by thinking—they change through action. If you don’t take action, the old belief sticks around.

I created my new reality by speaking up more. As I did, I influenced more conversations, and people began seeking out my opinions.

📌 Action for You:

• Take one bold action that contradicts your old belief.
• If you think, “I’m not good at public speaking,” sign up for a small speaking opportunity.
• If you think, “I’m not creative,” share an idea at work.

🚀 Bottom Line: You Create Your Reality

Your thoughts shape your life. If you change your thoughts, you change your life. But thinking alone isn’t enough—you must act.

Clarify, Decide, and Create your way into a new story.

Your belief is a choice. What will you choose today?