A Simple Formula for Changing Limiting Beliefs

There’s a concept in Neuro-Linguistic Programming known as the Levels of Change. Sometimes referred to as the Neurological Levels of Change.

It describes each level of thinking and operating in the world, like a plane of consciousness that we move up through in pyramid form.

At the bottom of that pyramid is your environment; the external surroundings you live in. Followed by behaviors; your actions, your capabilities; your competencies and skill sets, your values and beliefs; what you value and belief to be true; then your identity; who you believe you are, and finally your purpose; or your why and greater meaning in life. Your vision.

The problem is most of us are trying to make change at the bottom of this hierarchy at the environment and behavior level, but change cascades from the top down. Changing at this level is merely changing your external world at best and oftentimes, because the higher levels haven’t shifted, it’s challenging, superficial, and unsustainable.

The key to true behavior change is to start at the higher levels of this structure and let the effects spill downstream. 

When I work with a client, I start at the purpose and vision point; the peak or driving force behind it all, then concentrate our work together at the identity and values/beliefs level. Both of these psychological levels are held in the subconscious mind.

The only place where any true behavior change, healing, and transforming takes place.

So, if you are doing this work on your own; today I want to provide a glimpse into my Belief Change Formula, a simple architecture for identifying, changing, and rewiring in a new belief so that it can cascade down to the rest.

Shifting the internal to change the external.

Core Beliefs:

Your core beliefs are a collection of the thoughts, feelings, experiences, and attitudes that affect how you interpret and experience life. 

Essentially, what you believe to be true. 

These structures started forming at a very young age and are a product of your family/childhood experiences, culture, media, and society. Oftentimes, if left unexamined, they are carried with you throughout life.

The beliefs that you believe and the stories that you tell yourself repeatedly may sound like truth because that’s all you hear and know. They are deeply ingrained in your subconscious mind, the level of your mind that runs on auto-pilot and so generously allows you to direct energy and attention to higher energy tasks like conversation and decision making with your conscious mind.

The key to true change is recognizing these beliefs then “unlearning” them in the same way you learned them from a young age, or a highly emotional experience, so that you can install new ones in place that better serve you. 

Belief Change Formula:

1. Awareness: Identifying the mental, emotional, and behavioral patterns that are keeping you stuck. Bringing them to the surface. 

1. When you feel a negative emotion arise, get curious and pause to ask yourself what thought or belief is coming up right now?

   1. Example: You just had a big bowl of icecream and are now ruminating about how you’ll never get in shape or be confident in your body

2. What emotional states am I entering?

   1. Anger, frustration, shame, guilt

3. What behaviors follow this thought?

   1. Out to dinner with friends and stop conversing, start thinking about how shitty you’ll feel tomorrow...etc.

4. Are these thoughts, emotional states and behaviors serving me? 

Now that you’re conscious of it, when it arises again, bring attention to this thought, emotion, behavior. Become the curious observer and see it without judging it.

2. Redesign: Change the story, how can you see this from a new perspective that better serves and aligns with the person you’re becoming or the thing you’re working to achieve, this creates new neural networks in the brain.

1.  What new thought or belief can you put in place and set out to prove instead?

   1. I.e. I am someone who invests in my physical health and fitness

3. Repetition: Now that you’ve changed the story and believe you are capable of becoming and achieving this new version of yourself, put the practices into place with repetition. This solidifies those new neural networks.

1. How does this person show up and act everyday with these thoughts and beliefs? 

2. What rituals and routines has this version of you committed to?

   1. For example: a fit person who invests in their physical fitness doesn’t snooze their alarm 4 times and miss their 20 minute workout in the morning, they don’t have ice cream for dinner because they know it’s not who they are if they are someone who values and respects their body and mind.

This creates an identity shift. The highest level of self-transformation. You are no longer someone who wants to get fit, start a new relationship, build a business, etc. you start seeing yourself that way because you’re already showing up that way with your thoughts, words, and actions. You practice it until you literally become it.

Essentially moving it from the conscious mind back to the subconscious mind where it becomes your new default.

You don’t have to try anymore because it's who you are. 

It’s no longer what you’re becoming, it's who you’re being.

This Belief Change Formula is just one simple technique I use in my signature Self by Design Method to support my clients in getting out of their own way and calling in their wildest dreams. 

If you’re a conscious entrepreneur, creator, or leader who’s been considering mindset coaching and are curious to know more, Book a Free 15 Min Exploratory Call with me and let’s chat. This call is completely no-strings attached and solely for the purpose of opening the conversation to see what’s possible for you!