How to Overcome Limiting Beliefs and Reach Your Goals

Have you ever noticed how the same amount of energy used to struggle through life could actually be used to design a life you love?

The truth is, what stops us isn’t usually what’s happening around us, it's what’s happening inside our minds.

Our thoughts become the filter through which we view the world, and often, they highlight the barriers instead of the destination. This unconscious mental focus can reduce your motivation before you’ve even begun.

Think of your mind like a powerful aircraft. It burns the most fuel during take-off, that early stage when effort feels high and lift-off seems uncertain. But once you reach cruising altitude, things smooth out. Sure, there may be turbulence, but the direction is clear. Your mental “autopilot” kicks in, and the flight becomes more effortless.

So let’s get your mindset aligned for take-off. Below are five common psychological barriers that often block the path to your goals, and powerful ways to fly right through them.

Barrier 1: Assumptions

What you assume is true… often isn’t. Do your goals get followed by a “but”?

• I’d love to get fit, but I’m too old now.

• I want to start a business, but everything’s already been done.

Challenge these assumptions. They may feel like facts, but they’re often just old thoughts on repeat. Ask yourself: Is this really true? Or is it just comfortable to believe it is? Changing your mindset here is like clearing the runway for your next leap forward.

Barrier 2: Fear

Fear isn’t always danger, it’s often just doubt wearing a disguise.

• What if I leave my job and regret it?

• What if I join the program and it doesn’t work?

Instead, try flipping the question: What is the cost of staying stuck? When you take action, even imperfectly, you teach your subconscious that growth is safe. And growth is where confidence lives.

Barrier 3: Money

Is it really a lack of money or a lack of priority?

You might say, “I can’t afford gym membership or to eat healthy,” while regularly spending on takeaways, streaming subscriptions, or the latest phone upgrade.

But what if, instead of upgrading your phone… you upgraded your life?

Because here’s the truth:Your spending is a mirror of what you truly value. And no investment delivers a greater return than one in your mental clarity, emotional strength, and personal growth.

Barrier 4: Limiting Beliefs

Your beliefs are the programmes downloaded to your subconscious follows. If you’re running mental programs like:

• “There are no good men out there,” or

• “I’ll never be able to give up sugar,”

… You’re literally instructing your subconscious to block success.

The good news? Beliefs are flexible. You can reprogramme them. Try reframing:

• “I enjoy discovering healthy foods that support my body.”

• “I trust the right people show up in my life at the right time.”

Your mind will begin to scan for proof of these new beliefs, shaping your reality from the inside out.

Barrier 5: Setbacks

What if the moment you feel like giving up… is actually the tipping point? Most people give up at setback number 3, 5, maybe 7. What if success waits at attempt 10?

As the ancient philosopher Tommy Edison once said: ‘Many of life’s failures are people who didn’t realise how close they were to success when they gave up.’

The subconscious mind remembers patterns. If you quit early, it learns to expect failure. But if you keep going, you teach your mind that you're the kind of person who breaks through.

Reset Your Inner GPS

Try this self-guided breakthrough process:

1.      What’s one goal you really want to achieve?

2.    What thoughts or excuses have blocked your progress?

3.    What new beliefs or habits could support you instead?

4.    What would it cost you to stay stuck another year?

5.    What would it feel like to succeed?

6.    What are your first 3–5 small action steps?

3 Mindset Shifts to Break Through Faster

1. Work Backwards. Picture your end goal in vivid detail. Then reverse-engineer the steps it would take to get there. This trains your mind to see the path instead of the blockages.

2. Mentor Yourself. Ask: What would someone I admire do in this situation? Step into their mindset for a moment. Your brain begins mapping new strategies the moment you shift your inner role model.

3. Embody a New Trait. What inner strength would help you move forward ... Confidence? Courage? Discipline? Visualise yourself being that version of you. Feel it. Your subconscious will begin to accept this new identity as truth.

 Final Thought ...Your mind is your most powerful tool. Not because it controls you, but because you can train it.

Once you shift the way you think, you shift the way you live. And the only thing between where you are and where you want to be… is the mental altitude you choose to fly at.

• Megan Blatchford - Mind Shift Hypnotherapy - Offering personalised hypnotherapy from your own home, to help you overcome limiting beliefs, reprogramme your mindset, and achieve lasting change. www.mindshiftnz.com

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