Why Can't I Just Do the Things I Know I Need to Do?
Have you ever found yourself asking: Why can’t I just get myself to do the things I know I need to do? Why can’t I just get motivated? Why am I frozen, weighed down by something I can’t quite name, or feeling like my body is encased in concrete whenever I try to take action?
If this resonates with you, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. You’re likely carrying beliefs in your subconscious that subtly reinforce feelings of powerlessness. They often seem to turn straightforward tasks into massive undertakings, and they didn’t originate with you. They’re built on limitations we’ve learned to accept from influential figures in our lives, like parents, teachers, friends, media, and even doctors. When we realize the impact of these external voices, we can also begin to reshape our beliefs and let go of the patterns that keep us stuck.
Recognizing the Weight of Limiting Beliefs
Beliefs about what’s possible or what’s "right" to pursue take root in the subconscious long before we’re aware of them. Growing up, we absorb messages from the people around us about who we should be and what we should expect from life. While some of these beliefs are healthy and guiding, many subtly reinforce ideas of limitation, fear, or inadequacy. Over time, these messages get buried in our subconscious, forming the background against which we operate. The pattern is subtle—like a software program running quietly in the background. But it influences everything, from our ability to focus to our sense of what is possible.
For instance:
If you often heard, “People like us don’t do that,” or “You’re just not the type to take risks,” you might find yourself doubting whether you’re capable of taking bold steps.
If you were labeled as “too sensitive,” “too stubborn,” or “unmotivated,” it’s easy to internalize those labels and replay them when facing new challenges.
If the media always presented success as a rare, elite achievement, it may create a mental barrier to accepting that you, too, are capable of reaching your own goals.
These ideas settle into the subconscious mind and, even if they’re long forgotten, become limiting beliefs that impact our behavior and sense of agency.
The Physical Weight of Emotional Barriers
Have you ever felt like there’s a literal weight pressing down on you when you think about tackling a task? There’s a powerful reason for that: your subconscious mind speaks through the body. When faced with tasks, responsibilities, or even opportunities, any subconscious resistance—born of limiting beliefs—can create sensations like heaviness, anxiety, or even dread. This physical “weight” acts as a safety mechanism from the subconscious. It’s a way of keeping you in a comfort zone that it believes is safer than risking rejection, failure, or disappointment.
It’s why that sense of feeling frozen or “made of lead” is a very real experience: your mind and body are in alignment, just not in the way you need them to be.
How to Identify and Clear Limiting Beliefs
Tune In to Your Self-Talk: Start paying attention to the voice that arises when you’re about to take action. What are the words or feelings that show up? Does it say things like, “Why bother?” or “You’ll fail anyway?” Listen to these statements and acknowledge them. This act of listening helps bring subconscious beliefs to the surface.
Ask Where It Came From: Once you’ve identified these phrases, ask yourself, “Whose voice is this?” Was it a parent’s cautionary tone? A teacher’s discouragement? Identifying the source can help you realize that this voice was absorbed, not self-created. It also allows you to separate the belief from your own sense of self.
Challenge and Rewrite the Belief: Begin reframing the limiting belief with a realistic but empowering thought. Instead of, “I’ll probably fail,” try, “Failure is just a step on the path to growth.” Practice this new thought regularly to create a new, positive groove in your subconscious.
Visualize Moving Through the Weight: When you feel that sense of heaviness or “concrete” in your body, take a few moments to close your eyes and visualize yourself breaking free from that sensation. Imagine yourself light and mobile, taking small steps forward.
Take Small, Consistent Actions: To signal to your subconscious that this new belief is real, take small but meaningful actions in alignment with it. Consistency rewires the subconscious, showing it that there’s a new reality you are committed to.
A Life Reclaimed Through New Beliefs
Clearing limiting beliefs is not an overnight process, but it is a transformative journey. When you recognize that these beliefs aren’t “you” but rather voices you’ve carried for years, you can start to release them. Over time, the feeling of heaviness can lift, and you may find yourself moving more freely toward goals that once felt intimidating.
Believing in the possibility of change allows you to experience it firsthand. So the next time you feel stuck or weighed down, remember that it may not be a lack of motivation or discipline but a deep-seated belief that needs to be acknowledged and released. With patience and self-compassion, you can shift these beliefs and reclaim the freedom to act.