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What you believe about your skills and abilities can move you forward or hold you back.
A limiting belief is a thought you think that keeps you from doing or achieving something you desire.
Everyone carries some type of limiting belief around with them. They start small and if left unchallenged can turn into big barriers to your success. If you are reading this, you probably know that you have them.
Here are some common limiting beliefs skaters report:
- If I don’t land my jumps in my 6 minute warm up, I will not land them in my program.
- I am usually tight for the short program (and don’t skate my best), but have nothing to lose in my freeskate, so I can skate well.
- I usually have a great first session, then the second session goes downhill.
- I just can’t be consistent on my jumps.
- I skate an awesome short program, but I don’t know what happens to me in the long program.
- I have to land this jump before I leave the ice today, or I won’t skate it well tomorrow.
- I have to land this jump to prove to myself that I haven’t lost it (even though it has been consistent until right this moment.)
- I am running out of time (too old), I have to land this jump now or why bother skating.
- The first jump of the program will tell me if it’s going to be a good skate or not.
A belief is just a thought that you think over and over again until it becomes a habit.
You might be more familiar with habits as a physical action we take. For instance, you learn jumps by repetition and practice. Over and over again.
An example from life is brushing your teeth. Most people don’t think about how they brush their teeth, they just put the brush in their mouth and do it. Unless you make a choice to change, you probably have a consistent way of brushing. Upper right, Upper left, lower left, lower right.
Thoughts are the same way. You will continue to think a certain way unless you make a choice to change. When a habitual thought keeps you from doing what you desire, it can become a limiting belief.
A limiting belief will pop up automatically when a certain situation arises. For example, you practice your triple toe and pop it a few times. You immediately start to think, “here we go again. I have lost the feeling, and will have to work hard to get it back. I probably won’t get it back today.”
“If you accept a limiting belief, then it will become a truth for you.” -Louise Hay
Do you think this?…Then it is true until you change it:
- I am a good jumper but a poor spinner.
- I am a great spinner but a horrible jumper.
- I’m too old.
- I’m too tall.
- I don’t have the skater body.
- People are going to judge me if I don’t get this…
- I have to get my double axel before I am X years old to be competitive, or what’s the point?
- I have to be at a training center with a famous coach, or I have no chance.
- The people who are successful in this are out of my league.
You Can Eliminate Your Limiting Beliefs
Step 1: Recognize Your Limiting Beliefs
The first step to eliminating your limiting belief is to recognize you have one.
What limiting beliefs do you have that are getting in the way of your success as a skater?
Get a piece of paper and write them down.
Recently I went bowling with my family. I used to bowl for my high school team, but now only bowl once a year or so. I either have great games and poor games, and during these games, I can bowl strikes and gutters.
Here is my pattern. I usually have a great first game, a mediocre second game, and use the third game to practice bowling left handed because I have lost any consistency in my throw.
This time I bowled a good first game. I started the second one with a few open frames, for those of you who don’t know what that means, I didn’t get all 10 pins down. “Here we go again,” I thought, and prepared for my usual low scoring second game.
Then I overheard my son say, “Okay, now I’m warmed up for the next game.”
Light bulb moment: I have a limiting belief that is keeping me from bowling great.
I asked myself, what is the difference between people who bowl a great first game, then fizzle out, and those that get better the longer they play?
Mindset. The only difference is their mindset.
It was one of those “aha” moments that clearly illustrate the power of the mind. The only difference between thinking you are a shooting star (fast start-then fizzle out), or someone who is consistent or improves over time is your mindset.
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they’re yours.” ―Richard Bach
Step 2 Question Your Limiting Beliefs
Take a look at your limiting beliefs.
Why are are they false?
What reasons do you have to believe they are not true?
Write them down.
Here are my reasons I thought my limiting beliefs were true all these years:
- By the second game my muscles are sore from the unfamiliar movements.
- I don’t usually have the endurance for more than one and a half games.
- The longer I bowl, the more inconsistent I get. It’s just the way it’s always been.
My reasons these are false:
- My muscles must be able to work fine even if they are sore because I occasionally throw strikes.
- I am trying a more relaxed stance and approach today that seem to allow me to be consistent.
Step 3: Choose to Change or Not
Look at your limiting belief. What are the consequences of continuing to live by it?
In 5 months, if you continue to accept this limiting belief as the truth, where will you be? Is this acceptable to you?
Are you willing to get uncomfortable and make some mistakes to change this belief?
You choose: Change or No Change
For me, the idea of being warmed up and ready for an even better game struck home. It was such an eye opener, I chose to change and I shifted my perspective right then.
“If we can see past preconceived limitations, then the possibilities are endless.” ―Amy Purdy
Step 4: Create a Powerful New Belief
Write a new belief for yourself.
For some beliefs, it can be too big a jump to turn directly from the negative to the positive. If this case for you, break it down into smaller parts or start at a more general level first, then move to specifics as you change your thinking.
For example: I have to be at a training center with a famous coach, or I have no chance.
New belief: There are great skaters like Brian Boitano or Bradie Tennell who didn’t come from large training centers. I have a coach with a great technical foundation and I am putting together a great off ice conditioning, nutrition and flexibility program for myself.
Back to bowling: for myself, I decided that I was warmed up and ready to bowl even better.
It took me a few more frames before I started hitting my mark and I ended up beating my first game by almost 20 points. Another limiting belief bites the dust!
I believe in practicing the mental skills I teach. Usually I use them in life, so it was a real treat to use them in a sport.
Step 5: Practice and Solidify your New Belief
Practice, practice, practice every chance you have!
We all have limiting beliefs, those unwritten “rules” that keep us from living a limitless life full of possibilities. They come from our experiences on the ice, in competition and in life.
Now that you are aware of some of your limiting beliefs, make a point to turn them around. One step at a time.
Action Plan
- Recognize your limiting belief.
- Question your limiting belief.
- Make your choice to change or not.
- Create a powerful new belief.
- Practice and solidify your new belief
You are reading this because you have tried everything else and you are still stuck. You know your thinking is defeating you. Ask yourself, “What will it be like at the end of the season if I don’t make a change?
To build a strong mental game you need to eliminate your stinkin’ thinkin’ and think only in ways that help you succeed. You need to do this consistently, every day, on and off the ice. Over time this mindset will become the only way you think. Start changing your mind now! Download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook for a jump start!