Sarah had been talking about making a career change for three years.
She’d researched new industries. Updated her resume twice. Even bookmarked job postings she never applied to.
Every Sunday night, she’d tell herself: “This week, I’m going to reach out to that contact” or “This week, I’m going to apply.”
But Monday would come, and somehow the week would slip by without her taking action.
She started wondering if maybe she just didn’t want it badly enough. Or maybe she was lazy. Or maybe some people were just meant to stay where they were.
Sound familiar?
Here’s what Sarah didn’t realize: She wasn’t stuck because she lacked motivation or willpower.
She was stuck because hidden beliefs were blocking her path forward.
And once she discovered what those beliefs were, she finally understood why.
The Question That Changes Everything
I’ve worked with hundreds of people who feel stuck like Sarah did. And I’ve found that most people don’t even know beliefs are in their way.
They just know they can’t seem to move forward, no matter how much they want to.
So I developed a simple technique to help people discover exactly which beliefs are stopping them. I call it the “Judgment Into Beliefs” technique.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Think of something you want to do but keep avoiding.
Step 2: Imagine doing it and failing.
Step 3: Notice what judgment comes up. What would you think about yourself? What would others think about you?
Step 4: Those judgments reveal your beliefs.
Let me show you what this looks like in action.
What Happened When Sarah Tried This
I asked Sarah to walk through this process with me.
“Think about making that career change,” I said. “Now imagine you actually do it. You quit your job, you start the new role… and you fail at it. What’s the judgment that comes up?”
Sarah was quiet for a moment.
Then she said, “I’d think… I don’t have what it takes.”
“Okay. What else?”
“That I made a huge mistake. That everyone was right to think I should just stay where I was.”
“And if you failed, what would you think others would be judging you for?”
“They’d think I was stupid to leave a stable job. That I was irresponsible. That I can’t handle real challenges.”
I wrote down everything she said.
Then I converted her thoughts into belief statements. I removed the “They’d think” from the judgments about others and put everything in present tense.
Here’s what I read back to her:
- I don’t have what it takes
- I can’t handle real challenges
- I’m irresponsible
- Mistakes are bad
“Sarah,” I said, “these aren’t just random thoughts. These are beliefs. And they’re why you can’t move forward.”
She started crying.
Not because she was sad, but because for the first time, she understood what was actually happening.
You’re Not the Problem. You Have a Diagnosis.
Think about what happens when you go to the doctor with a persistent problem.
You describe your symptoms. The doctor runs some tests. And then she says, “I know what this is. Other people have had this too. And here’s what’s causing it.”
What’s the first thing you feel?
Relief.
Because now you know you’re not crazy. You’re not imagining it. There’s an actual cause.
And if there’s a cause, there’s probably a cure.
That’s exactly what happens when you discover the beliefs that are blocking you.
You realize:
- You’re not lazy
- You’re not lacking motivation
- You’re not the problem
- There’s nothing wrong with you
You just have beliefs that are driving behaviors you don’t want.
And here’s the best part: beliefs can be eliminated.
Not managed. Not worked around. Actually eliminated.
When Sarah and I eliminated those beliefs, she didn’t need to “push through” her fear anymore. She didn’t need pep talks or accountability partners.
She just… took action.
Within two weeks, she’d had three informational interviews. Within a month, she’d applied to five positions. Within three months, she’d accepted an offer at a company she was genuinely excited about.
The beliefs weren’t in her way anymore.
Try This For Yourself
I want you to try this technique right now.
Grab a piece of paper or open a notes app on your phone.
Think of something you’ve been putting off. Something you want to do but keep avoiding.
Now walk through these four steps:
- Picture yourself doing that thing
- Imagine failing at it
- Write down every judgment that comes up (what you’d think about yourself, what others would think)
- Look at what you wrote. Those are your beliefs.
You might see things like:
- “I’m not good enough”
- “I’m not smart enough”
- “I don’t have what it takes”
- “If I make a mistake, I’ll be rejected”
- “What makes me good enough is having others think well of me”
If you felt something when you read those words—if they resonated or made you uncomfortable—you probably have those beliefs.
What To Do Next
Once you’ve discovered your beliefs, you have two options.
First, you can try eliminating a belief yourself using our free belief elimination process. It walks you through the exact steps we use to dissolve beliefs that feel absolutely true. You can access it here: recreateyourlife.com/free
The free process focuses on three of the most common beliefs, but you can adapt it to work with whatever beliefs you discovered.
Second—and this is the fastest path to change—you can schedule a free strategy session with me.
In that session, we’ll:
- Get crystal clear on what you really want
- Uncover the specific beliefs and patterns standing in your way
- Create a roadmap for how to move forward
And if it turns out we’re a good fit to work together, I can help you eliminate those beliefs in our paid sessions.
You can book your free strategy session here: https://www.mortylefkoe.com/application/
One Last Thing
I’ve been doing this work for over 30 years.
And I can tell you with absolute certainty: when people finally understand what’s been blocking them, it’s one of the most powerful moments of their lives.
Because suddenly, the stuck feeling makes sense.
And more importantly, they finally have hope that change is actually possible.
Not through more willpower. Not through trying harder.
But through addressing the root cause.
So try the Judgment Into Beliefs technique.
See what beliefs reveal themselves.
And then take the next step to eliminate them.
Because the thing you’ve been putting off? You can actually do it.
The beliefs just need to get out of your way first.
Talk soon,
Shelly
P.S. If you discovered beliefs when you did this exercise, don’t ignore them. Those beliefs aren’t going away on their own. But they can be eliminated. Book your free strategy session and let’s get started: https://www.mortylefkoe.com/application/
