Achieve What You Believe

“My ADHD makes it impossible to get anything done.”

“I’ll never overcome this.”

“I’m always messing up.”

If you have ADHD, maybe you can relate to some of these phrases. Maybe you can remember saying them yourself.

One thing all of these thoughts have in common is all-or-nothing thinking.

Words like impossible, never, and always imply there is no way to fix the situation.

This black-and-white thinking is known as a limiting belief.

What is a limiting belief?

Here is a great, simple definition of limiting beliefs explained by popular organization system, Trello:

Limiting beliefs are thoughts [or] opinions that one believes to be the absolute truth. They tend to have a negative impact on one's life by stopping them from moving forward and growing on a personal and professional level.

In most cases, limiting beliefs are unconscious thoughts that act as a defense mechanism to avoid possible negative or lower vibrating emotions (e.g. frustration, anxiety, anger, sadness).

While it’s a big accomplishment to begin recognizing this type of thinking in yourself, it can be harder to change this type of thinking. 

Notice I said harder—not impossible.

A limiting belief is a fixed attitude; a habit created over time, sometimes as far back as childhood. Just like trying to stop biting your nails or quitting smoking, it takes time and conscious effort to find success.

A great way to start changing your limiting beliefs is to take a moment to analyze them when they come.

How can I change a limiting belief?

Let’s try an example with one of the phrases I used above: “I’m always messing up”.

After recognizing this as a limiting belief, try to find the word or phrase that creates an all-or-nothing statement. In this case “always” is the culprit.

Once you’ve found the limiting belief, be honest with yourself and decide whether the thought is true or not.

Do you always mess up? Every. Single. Time? No, of course not! 

This exercise is a great way to start seeing yourself and the world around you the way it really is: open-ended and full of possibilities! Once you can see your potential, you may find yourself moving forward and not being held back by your limiting beliefs.

Thank you for your time and attention,

-Nikki