The glass ceiling metaphor that describes the invisible, unbreakable barrier that keeps women and minorities from rising to the top of the corporate ladder (regardless of their qualifications or achievements) is a well-documented sad reality. However, the even more insidious and crippling barriers to success are our self-imposed limitations – our own ‘glass ceiling’.

What limits do you put on your success? What barriers are you creating that hold you back and keep you playing small?

I bet everyone has experienced first-hand the effects of having limiting beliefs about your capacity and level of success you could have in your life. Maybe those limiting beliefs prevented you from pursuing a new job, a new adventure, or even a new relationship. Some of our limiting beliefs were taught to us, some were modeled for us by our elders and some we learned or picked up by osmosis. Some were arrived at by as little as one simple off-hand comment from a teacher or a sibling, years earlier. We then attached importance to that comment, gave energy to it, and that limiting belief became our truth.

To conquer these limiting beliefs and break through our glass ceiling, we need to have an awareness of the barriers we put in our way and the things we do to sabotage our success. Awareness is the first critical step to change. Once aware, we must then be willing to change. We must be willing to think differently, to risk, explore, be vulnerable and even sometimes fail in order to get different results. By taking responsibility for rung of the success ladder on which we are standing, we take the first important step to breaking our own glass ceiling.

What messaging do you give yourself about success? How often do the words “I can’t do…” pop into your head? We now know that we can rewire our thinking and our view of success. The brain does and can change with repeated and directed attention toward that desired change.

Our human capacity is infinite. We can’t be sure right now what our life possibilities are so why limit them? All through history people – ordinary folk like you and me – have achieved the impossible against all odds. Boundaries have been constantly stretched and unthinkable dreams have become everyday norms. All you need is a belief in possibility and a willingness to break your own glass ceiling and commit to your greatest success.

6 Steps to Create a New Success Paradigm

1/ Success Vision

If anything were possible in your life without limits, what would be there? Let your mind go and write down your vision of your most successful life.

2/ What if?

Determine your What if? possibilities. If your Success Vision were possible, what would that mean for your life? How would you feel? What would change for you?

3/ Limiting Beliefs

Identify the limiting beliefs you have around your Success Vision. What thoughts do you have that conflict with the attainment of your Success Vision?

4/ Truth Meter

Put your limiting beliefs up to extreme scrutiny on the Truth Meter. Assess your limiting belief statements on a scale of 1-10 as to how true your statements are. Are your beliefs absolutely true?

5/ Embrace the Possibilities

Check your truth meter. If any of your limiting beliefs are not 100% true, you can decide to change them. Ask yourself how you need to shift your thinking in order to begin to moving into your Success Vision.

6/ Act

Now that you have created a new success paradigm for yourself you can begin living into that vision by creating incremental small steps that move you forward.