How to Identify and Overcome Limiting Beliefs
Claudia Lisboa explains the origins of mental blocks and shares practical steps to rewire habits and mindset.
Discover how automatic thoughts shape behavior and hinder personal and professional growth. Leadership mentor Claudia Lisboa shares practical strategies to identify negative beliefs, reframe patterns, and take action to transform your mindset.
Every behavior starts with a thought. Often without realizing it, we repeat narratives about ourselves and the world that stall our career growth, strain our relationships, and erode our self-confidence. On the segment Inspira e Ação, Livia Matos sat down with leadership trainer, mentor, and Soul Academy founder Claudia Lisboa for a practical conversation on how limiting beliefs work and how to overcome them.
The origin of beliefs: between lived experience and imagination
Claudia Lisboa emphasizes that holding limiting beliefs is a natural human tendency: everyone has them or will face them at some point. The key is understanding where they come from. In practical terms, they fall into two categories: rational and irrational.
Rational beliefs stem from real-world experiences, often negative or uncomfortable ones. For instance, after going through a painful breakup or betrayal, someone might conclude that "all relationships are doomed." The brain does this as a protective defense mechanism, quickly logging bad experiences to prevent future pain. The problem arises when we generalize an isolated event into an absolute truth, constantly seeking evidence to confirm the bias.
Irrational beliefs, on the other hand, lack factual foundation. These are ungrounded assumptions like "I will never be able to learn English" or "I'm just not a numbers person." Often, people justify these blocks by pointing to past attempts with flawed methods or a lack of dedication, building an artificial barrier that shuts down new career and learning opportunities.
Additionally, there are inherited beliefs. From childhood, we absorb fears, narratives, and behavioral patterns from our families and surroundings, carrying attitudes and blocks into adulthood that were never truly our own.
Common blocks: money, body image, and perfectionism
Beliefs often surface in automatic phrases we repeat without thinking. Among the most frequent are financial blocks, such as "money slips right through my fingers" or the idea that wealth brings trouble or emotional detachment. When someone believes they must choose between a peaceful personal life and financial success, they create a false dichotomy that sabotages their own ambition.
Another common example involves physical well-being, such as believing "I just wasn't born to exercise." Lisboa notes that the human body is wired for movement, and recognizing occasional laziness is entirely different from labeling yourself fundamentally incapable of working out.
There is also the trap of rigid perfectionism: the belief that any mistake proves incompetence. Those who internalize this mindset struggle with harsh self-criticism and become intolerant of others' missteps, forgetting that genuine learning requires trial, error, and course correction.
How the brain learns and why action is essential
Research and practice in emotional intelligence show that we process thousands of thoughts daily, most of which lean toward caution or negativity. Because the brain prioritizes survival and safety, it latches onto bad experiences effortlessly, whereas building positive thoughts and healthy habits requires conscious, consistent repetition.
Relying solely on verbal affirmations is not enough. To dismantle an old pattern, you must pair the new mindset with tangible action. When you commit to real-world practice—whether in studying, work, or fitness—the brain begins registering the benefits and satisfaction of the outcome, making the new habit sustainable over time.
Three steps to rewire your mind and live in beta mode
For anyone looking to shift their everyday mindset, Claudia Lisboa outlines a straightforward three-step framework:
- Map and identify recurring patterns: Start by paying attention to the repetitive phrases you say, especially those beginning with "I never," "I can't," or "That's just how it has always been." Writing these down in a notebook or asking trusted peers for honest feedback helps reveal the top three beliefs holding you back right now.
- Reframe the thought in real time: Whenever a mental block surfaces, challenge its usefulness and consciously edit it. Replace absolute statements with constructive alternatives, such as "I am in the process of learning" or "I am capable of developing new skills."
- Take consistent action: Follow through with behaviors that align with your new belief so your brain gathers fresh evidence of capability and resilience.
The conversation also highlights the concept of living in beta mode: viewing ourselves as continuously evolving software, open to ongoing updates and daily learning, without the rigid assumption that we are fixed or destined to stay the same.