One of the big ideas from Shiftability that is resonating with readers is the concept of limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs are the things that keep you stuck where you are, that get in the way of moving to a new level, that block your path to greater success - the things that you believe that keep you from transformation.  

I don't know about you, but when I hear the term "limiting belief" the first thing I think is that I was wrong - I believed something that wasn't true or I was deceived. This is not actually the case. Here is an excerpt from the book that explains what a limiting belief really is:

"A limiting belief is any belief that holds you in your current way of doing things. We all have limiting beliefs, every single one of us. They are internal frames and ways of thinking that keep us from what is possible and what is available out there for us.

Limiting does not necessarily mean that a belief was bad or that it didn’t work, or was wrong or untrue. Limiting means it was fixed to a certain frame or to a certain set of variables.

For example, everybody who’s been successful in selling has had a winning strategy that has led them to the place where they are right now. That is fantastic. But that winning strategy may not be what is needed for the future. Even though it has been successful, even though it has worked, it is still limited, because it may be irrelevant for the current environment even though it may have been relevant previously.

Or perhaps you have reached a ceiling in your sales performance and you simply have never been able to sell more. What will it take to get you to the next level?

In the future where we are headed the variables have changed. We cannot limit ourselves to the way we thought before, or limit ourselves to the winning strategies that worked in the past. Instead, we get to adopt new strategies; we get to explore new ways of going about things. We get to transform ourselves in order to be relevant for the future.

So, a limiting belief is not always something negative or that has been unsuccessful. A limiting belief is something that may have been relevant in a certain time but in the current context is losing its relevance. It is limited in its capacity to produce results in the future. To uncover our limiting beliefs we have to look at both the things that have been successful for us, and the things that have held us back. And then take a look at what is needed for the future.

The moment we are able to recognize the beliefs that we have had up until now and have carried us to now, we arrive at a place from which we can then develop new beliefs. Those new beliefs will be rooted in curiosity, the willingness to investigate and explore, the willingness to shift and transform, and the willingness to contribute and create value. Once you are able to or willing to engage these new beliefs, you will do new things that will improve your results."

Adapted from Shiftability: Creating A Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Selling