The "Upper Limit Problem" and the Issue with Limiting Beliefs
You may have heard about The Upper Limit Problem, a term first coined by Gay Hendricks in his book “The Big Leap.” The Upper Limit is a construct of assumptions that we believe and place on ourselves, or assumptions that we have adopted over the course of our lives based on what we hear about ourselves from others, which limits us from succeeding and performing to our true potential.
It’s only when we step back, reflect on ourselves, and develop our own frameworks for success that we see that many of these assumptions are totally constructed and holding us back. In this episode, I tell you about the ways this played out for one of our Apply Yourself community members while she was managing her chronic pain and medical needs and, after our work together, coming out of breaks and rest in a more productive way.
Busting Through Limiting Beliefs: From Pain to Performance
The Upper Limit, or the limiting beliefs we have for ourselves, is often moulded by other people’s opinions, expectations, and perspectives of what is true for us. If we define our own stories by what other people say, then we would be living their life and not our own. So, it’s really important that we develop our own frameworks for success that work for us and our own circumstances. Here are some key takeaways from this episode:
- Tune in to learn the difference between taking a break v.s. taking rest and, importantly, doing both without guilt in order to come back energized and ready to perform at your best.
- You don’t need a reward and punishment system to “make yourself work.” What you need is your own framework for success that best works for you, based on your own circumstances, abilities, medical needs, perceptions, strategies, and other personal factors that contribute to your advancement.
- It’s so crucial to validate your own experiences and perspectives without the need for other people’s validation or input. One story that this community member has been told her whole life, and eventually started to believe, was that her chronic pain was something to push through. However, if we cared for ourselves through pain rather than pushing through it, then we would have a lot more success and better performance in the short term, rather than making ourselves feel worse in the long term.
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