If you have ever caught yourself thinking, I don’t have time, I’m not ready, or What will people think, you are not doing anything wrong. You are human.

This comes up constantly with the women I work with. Not because they are lazy, unmotivated, or unclear, but because they are carrying stories they have never actually questioned. Stories shaped by culture, comparison, burnout, motherhood, and the quiet pressure to do everything well without asking for too much.

Here is what I know.

Beliefs shape our thoughts. Our thoughts shape our actions. And most of us are living from beliefs we absorbed years ago without ever stopping to ask whether they are even true.

This is not about fixing yourself. It is about noticing the stories running in the background and deciding which ones still get a say.

2. I Don’t Have Time, I’m Not Ready, and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

What Limiting Beliefs Actually Are and Where They Come From

Limiting beliefs are not dramatic. They are subtle. They sound practical. Responsible, even.

They are the thoughts that stop you before you start. The ones that feel factual but are really just old stories on repeat. And they do not come out of nowhere.

They come from what you watched growing up. From what you were praised for. From what felt safe in a certain season of life. From exhaustion. From comparison. From motherhood, ambition, and trying to do all of it without falling apart.

Once you can see the belief clearly, you create choice. Awareness is where things start to shift, not overnight, but steadily.

The Beliefs I See Keeping Women Stuck Most Often

1. “I Don’t Have Time”

This one is especially loud for mothers and women holding a lot.

When I started my work, I told myself the same thing. I had multiple kids, real responsibilities, and very little margin. And no one was going to magically hand me extra hours.

What became clear is this. You do not find time. You decide what is worth making space for.

That does not mean overextending yourself or ignoring the reality of your life. It means being honest about what matters and building from there, season by season.

2. “I Should Be Further Ahead”

This is comparison wearing a reasonable outfit.

I felt this deeply when I started coaching. I watched other women move confidently while I questioned whether I was late to the conversation. But comparison does not motivate. It shrinks.

Progress happens where your feet are, not where someone else’s highlight reel says you should be.

3. “What Will People Think?”

I used to hesitate sharing anything personal online because I was aware of who might be watching. Friends, family, people who knew me in a different version of myself.

But here is the part no one really talks about. The people whose opinions keep you frozen are rarely the ones you are meant to serve.

Other people’s opinions do not build your life. You do.

The right people will understand you. The rest were never the audience.

4. “I Need to Have It All Figured Out First”

This belief feels smart. Strategic. Very put together.

It is also fear.

Clarity does not come before movement. It comes from movement. No one starts knowing exactly what they are doing. We are all figuring it out as we go, usually in between coffee breaks and Google searches.

You do not need a perfect plan. You need a starting point.

5. “Who Am I to Do This?”

This is imposter syndrome turned all the way up.

My response is simple. If the desire is there, it is there for a reason. You would not feel drawn toward something that was not meant for you to explore.

This is not about proving yourself. It is about trusting that the pull you feel is information.

How To Challenge Limiting Beliefs in Real Life

You cannot rewrite a belief you never pause long enough to notice.

This is not about positive thinking or forcing affirmations that do not land. It is about honest reframes that create space.

“I don’t have time” becomes “I get to choose what matters most right now.”

“What will people think?” becomes “If this is aligned for me, it will land where it is meant to.”

“I’m not ready” becomes “I am ready to begin without having it all figured out.”

Small shifts like this change how you move. And how you move is what creates momentum.

Journal Prompts to Build Awareness

You do not need hours for this. Just honesty.

1. What is one thought I have been treating as fact that might not actually be true?
2. If this belief was not running the show, how would I act today?
3. What else could be true in this moment?

When the Beliefs Still Show Up

They will. I still have them too.

The difference is not that they disappear. It is that I catch them faster. I do not let them make the final decision.

This is self leadership in real time. You notice the thought. You name it as a story. You choose a different belief. Then you act from that place, even if it feels slightly uncomfortable.

That is how trust builds.

Grounded Takeaways You Can Actually Use

• Notice the belief without judging yourself
• Name the story your mind is telling
• Ask what else could be true
• Choose a belief that supports the life you are building
• Take one small aligned step
• Remember that momentum comes from action, not perfection

Questions I Hear Often

You Get to Choose the Story You Live In

The life and business you want are not waiting for more confidence, more time, or the perfect moment.

They begin with the belief you choose today.

You are not your thoughts. You are the one who decides which ones get to lead.

And if this episode opened something for you and you are ready to move with more clarity and less force, my coaching work and CEO Besties are built for women who are done waiting and ready to trust themselves again.

Nothing has gone wrong.

You do not have to rush this.

And you are capable of more than you think.