The beginning of the year usually sees us collectively setting intentions and dreaming big for the 12 months ahead. Whether you’re looking to uplevel your business, revamp your personal life, or anything in between, there’s something inspiring about making a list and mapping out your plan. But on the road to getting what you want, you’re likely going to square off with some limiting beliefs that have held you back in the past. 

As you start to make changes, your brain may go into overdrive, sound every red alert, and let all of that not-enoughness-imposter-syndrome-self-doubt ooze from your pores. 

Sound familiar? Then you’re in the right place. 

Let’s start by taking a deep breath. 

We all have limiting beliefs. All of us. You’re not special! (Well, not in that department, at least.) But you are powerful. And as a full grown adult, you are in the perfect position to decide which beliefs you want to keep and which you’re ready to kick to the curb (or throw into a dumpster fire. Your choice.) 

Of course, before we can do any of that releasing, we should probably back up and start at the beginning with the very origins and purpose of our beliefs. 

Belief-Forming 101

We begin forming beliefs from a very young age. As babies, we are told what is “good” and what is “bad,” what is “safe” and “not safe.” 

Some of these things are objectively true. (Ex: Don’t touch a hot stove, folks! Or…Vanilla extract by itself tastes gross!) But some are heavily influenced by our families and environments. (Ex: It’s not okay to ask for what I want. Or…My creativity isn’t welcome here.) 

In fact, the majority of our essential beliefs about the world are formed by the time we’re 7. Those beliefs are stored in our subconscious, where our habits, memories and feelings live. And we will continue running those same programmed beliefs for the rest of our life, if we never go back and re-evaluate them. 

This means that 36-year-old you could still be holding onto the idea that it’s not safe to ask for what you want, because that’s what 6-year-old you learned to be true. And IF you’re holding onto that old belief (usually without realizing it), then that could explain why you repeatedly struggle to speak your mind, or you devalue your own opinion more than anyone else’s. 

It’s clear that running old subconscious beliefs is about as useful as continuing to use your computer without ever upgrading the software. At some point, the system just isn’t going to work anymore! 

That’s where hypnotherapy can help. 

Hypnosis, the Subconscious + Self-Liberation 

Hypnosis or hypnotherapy (terms I’ll use interchangeably for the purposes of this article) is an incredible tool for excavating the subconscious so that you can transform beliefs that are holding you back into beliefs that help you actually achieve your goals.  

That’s the beauty of the subconscious: it can always transform. And since it is 90% of the mind, you’ll definitely want your subconscious on board if you’re looking to uplevel your life. And because the shifts that you make on a subconscious level create a ripple effect that improves every aspect of your life, what do you have to lose? 

Identify Your Limiting Beliefs 

Maybe you already know exactly which beliefs have been holding you back. But, maybe you’re still a little unclear! If so, consider the following questions: 

• What do you beat yourself up about? 
  • What do you feel that thing says about you? 
  • How does that make you feel? 
• What were you told as a kid that never felt quite right?
• What do you see in other people that makes you feel insecure? (Ex: Do you bristle when you hear someone talk about making lots of money, or see someone buying a beautiful home?) 
  • What do you feel when you see/hear about that? (Ex: I feel like I haven’t achieved enough.) 
  • Can you boil that down even further? (Ex: I am not enough)

Of course, all of this reflecting is happening on the conscious level. If and when you choose to go into hypnosis, you might realize that the original source is way deeper and less expected than you thought! But these questions should help you get started. 

Choose What You Want Instead

Once you’ve clarified the beliefs that are holding you back, you get to choose what to do about them! 

For example, you probably don’t want to keep walking around telling yourself, “I’m not enough. I’ll never experience success. I’m not good at what I do.” Right? 

So now take a moment and consider the following: 

• What do you want to believe about yourself? 
• How do you want to feel? 
• Why are these new beliefs and feelings important to you? 
• What would your life look like if you could swap in this new, more supportive belief right now? 

That feels much better, right? And guess what? Making a subconscious shift really can be as simple as that. So let’s go through a step-by-step process to kickstart your transformation. 

A Step-By-Step Guide to Release

I recommend reading through the whole process and (ideally) finding a quiet place before you begin! This is a super bare-bones process that you can whip out whenever you need to experience a sense of release. 

• Take a few nice, deep breaths.
• Close your eyes if you can do so safely. 
• Imagine one old belief that you’re ready to get rid of. 
• Imagine yourself thanking that belief for helping you when you needed it, and let it know that you need to let it go. 
• Imagine yourself packing that old belief away in a box and destroying that box completely. 
• Now, imagine the new belief that you want instead. Invite that belief to live somewhere safe–maybe in your heart or in the front of your mind. 
• Breathe for a few moments, feeling the reverberations of that new belief, imagining how that new belief is helping you change your life. Make it very real for yourself! 
• When you’re ready, open your eyes and continue with your day, enjoying the transformation you’ve experienced. 
• Feel free to repeat this process as often as you like!

So as you move into 2022 and beyond, rest assured that you already have everything you need to release your old limiting beliefs and live life on your terms.