How limiting beliefs are holding back your career

In 2011, I was single and living in New York City.

I spotted a guy across the subway car. He was cute. Really cute.

I wanted to talk to him, but I froze.

So I sat there having an internal argument with myself about all the reasons I shouldn’t. Then he got off the train.

Just as the doors were closing, something took over in me. I leapt out of my seat, chased him down the platform, and gave him my number.

We got married three years later. The New York Times wrote about us.

If I had believed “I’m not the kind of person who does that,” I wouldn’t have met my husband Jon. I wouldn’t have my two kids, Ari and Noa.

One belief, rewritten in a split second, changed my entire life.

People tell me I got lucky that day. But that’s not what happened.

Meeting Jon. Getting a job out of college at Google and becoming an executive. Writing a New York Times bestselling book. Building a premium coaching and speaking business.

And yes, making more money than I ever thought possible.

None of that was luck.

Every single career milestone in my life happened because I rewrote a limiting belief and took action on it.

The Problem

You’re letting limiting beliefs make decisions for you.

• “People like me don’t get opportunities like that.”
• “I need more experience before I can do that.”
• “I’m not senior enough to speak up.”

These feel like facts. But they’re just filters. And they’re keeping you from the career you want.

The Big Small Thing

Rewrite one limiting belief this week. Then take action on it.

I’ve been thinking a LOT about this after reading my friend Nir Eyal’s new book, Beyond Belief.

In it, he maps out how our limiting beliefs keep us stuck — and how to replace them with liberating ones.

Here’s one of my favorite pages from his book:

How you can apply this:

Want a promotion?

Limiting belief: “I’m not ready yet. I need more experience.”

Liberating belief: “No one feels 100% ready. I can grow into the role.”

Action: Schedule a meeting with your manager this week. Say: “I’d like to schedule time to discuss promotion to [next level role]. I want to create a clear plan for what I need to accomplish to get there.”

Want to speak up more?

Limiting belief: “I’m not senior enough. No one wants to hear from me.”

Liberating belief: “I have awesome ideas and my perspective has value.”

Action: In your next team meeting, raise your hand and ask one question or share one idea.

Want to change careers?

Limiting belief: “It’s too late to start over. I’ve invested too much in this path.”

Liberating belief: “Skills transfer. I can build on what I know.”

Action: Identify one person who made a similar career switch. Send them a LinkedIn message: “I’m exploring a move from [current field] to [new field]. Would you have 15 minutes to share how you made the transition?”

Pick one. Rewrite your limiting belief. Do the specific action this week.

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How This Helps You Get What You Want

Every time you rewrite a limiting belief and take action, you prove to yourself it was just a story.

The promotion conversation isn’t as scary as you thought. Speaking up doesn’t get you judged. The career switch is possible.

You stop waiting. You start creating opportunities. And that’s how careers accelerate.