How to break limiting beliefs (The Work)
“A thought is harmless unless we believe it.” — Byron Katie
Why it works
Byron Katie (pictured) is an American author and speaker whose work has helped millions of people find greater clarity and peace of mind. In her 2002 book Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life, she introduced a method called The Work. The book became a New York Times bestseller and continues to guide people worldwide in questioning the thought patterns that cause stress, conflict, and emotional suffering.
According to Katie, we don’t suffer because of events themselves, but because of our thoughts and interpretations about them. At its core, The Work helps us deal with what psychologists call limiting beliefs—the implicit stories our minds create to make sense of the world. When left unquestioned, these limiting beliefs distort perception, fuel stress, and narrow our capacity to respond effectively to what life throws at us.
From a neuroscience perspective, limiting beliefs arise because the brain is a prediction machine. It utilizes past experiences to predict the meaning of current events and the actions to take in response to them. When the same beliefs are repeated over time, the brain begins to treat them as reliable predictions, even when they don’t help us. By examining these beliefs through structured inquiry, The Work interrupts that predictive loop and allows the brain to update its internal model with new evidence. It consists of four questions and an inversion that can be applied to any limiting belief. Here’s how.
How to do it
Step 1: Identify a belief that’s limiting you
Start by choosing one belief that you sense is holding you back, stressing you out, or weighing on your professional or personal life. Because most beliefs operate below conscious awareness, this step can take some reflection. To get you started, here are a few I often hear when coaching clients on becoming Ultraproductive:
“There’s never enough time to get everything done.”
“Sleep is a waste of time. I can get by with 6 hours.”
“I need to get rid of stress because it’s bad for me.”
For ambitious people, most limiting beliefs tend to cluster around what we call the three compulsive C’s: control, comparison, and chasing. Here are some examples.
Control
“If I don’t do it myself, it won’t be done right.”
“If I let go of this, everything will fall apart.”
“I have to get this done perfectly.”
Comparison
“Everyone else has it figured out.”
“I should be further ahead by now.”
“People respect me for my success, not for who I am.”
Chasing
“If I fail at this, I am a failure.”
“If I say no, I’ll miss my chance.”
“I’ll be happy once I accomplish X.”
Whatever belief resonates most with you, write it down specifically. The clearer it is, the easier it becomes to challenge and change it.
Step 2: Apply the four questions to it
After you’ve written down the belief, take it through Katie’s four questions.
Question 1: Is it true?
Ask yourself whether the belief is undeniably true. Be honest and objective.
Question 2: Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
Explore whether you can be 100% certain the belief is true. Consider where there might be room for doubt or alternative perspectives.
Question 3: How do you react when you believe it?
Investigate the consequences of holding the belief. How does it affect your emotions, body, behavior, and relationships?
Question 4: Who would you be without that belief?
Imagine the same situation without the belief. How would you feel, act, and relate to others if it no longer controlled you?
Step 3: Invert the belief
After you’ve gone through the four questions, do what Katie calls the turnaround. Invert the belief and examine how the new version feels. Does it bring relief? Could it be as true (or truer) than the original?
Here are the inversions of the common limiting beliefs of ambitious people listed above:
Control
Belief: “If I don’t do it myself, it won’t be done right.”
Inversion: “Trusting others enables them to do their best work.”
Belief: “If I let go of this, everything will fall apart.”
Inversion: “If I let go of control, things can come together more easily.”
Belief: “I have to get this done perfectly.”
Inversion: “Perfect is the lowest standard because it doesn’t exist; done is better than perfect.”
Comparison
Belief: “Everyone else has it figured out.”
Inversion: “No one has it all figured out. We’re all learning as we go.”
Belief: “I should be further ahead by now.”
Inversion: “I’m exactly where I need to be at this point in my life.”
Belief: “People respect me for my success, not for who I am.”
Inversion: “People value me for who I am, not for what I achieve.”
Chasing
Belief: “If I fail at this, I am a failure.”
Inversion: “Failing is necessary for success.”
Belief: “If I say no, I’ll miss my chance.”
Inversion: “Every no creates space for the right yes.”
Belief: “I’ll be happy once I accomplish X.”
Inversion: “Happiness comes from how I live today, not what I achieve tomorrow.”
Finally, look for genuine examples from your own life that support your inverted belief. Each time you find evidence that contradicts the old belief, you weaken its grip. From a neuroscience perspective, this practice helps retrain the brain’s prediction model—and replace outdated, limiting beliefs with better, empowering beliefs.
Since learning about the inversion of limiting beliefs during my PhD research on stress, unconscious processes, and performance, I’ve applied this method to many of my own limiting beliefs.
I’ve also witnessed profound changes in many of my clients after helping them apply The Work.
It’s a simple and powerful way to loosen the hold of thought patterns that weigh on your professional or personal life.
Here’s my challenge for you this month:
Choose one limiting belief that has been on repeat in your mind.
Run it through the four questions and the turnaround.
Then, see what happens.