How to Change Your Beliefs to Change Your Life

Dear {{ first name | Legend}},

Have you heard about the story of Roger Bannister?

For decades, experts believed the human body could not run a mile in under four minutes.

Doctors said it was physiologically impossible.

Some even warned the body might collapse.

So no one did it.

For years.

Then in 1954, Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3:59.4.

And something incredible happened.

Within 46 days, another runner broke the record.

Within three years, 16 runners had done it.

Today, thousands have.

Nothing about human biology suddenly evolved in 46 days.

What changed?

Belief.

My latest conversation on the Influence Anyone podcast was with Nir Eyal, a leading thinker on the psychology of behavior change and human potential. He is the author of international bestsellers Hooked and Indistractible, which have sold over one million copies in more than thirty languages. Nir was actually my first guest, and now he is back, discussing his new book, Beyond Belief. (want a free copy? read instructions at the top👆🏽)

In our session, he offered to flip one of my limiting beliefs… I accepted 😱

During the conversation, Nir asked me a simple question.

“What’s something in your life you feel stuck on?”

I didn’t hesitate.

Writing a book.

For years, I’ve felt pulled toward it. But I never start.

So Nir asked:

“What belief might be underneath that?”

After a few minutes, it came out:

“I’m not ready.”

I told him I felt like I needed more credibility first.
More experience.
More audience.

Only then could I write something worth publishing.

It sounded reasonable.

Responsible even.

But Nir gently pushed back.

He walked me through a simple process to test the belief.

First question:

Is it true?

I said yes.

Second question:

Is it absolutely true?

Now I hesitated.

Not completely.

Then he asked something more interesting.

Who are you when you believe that thought?

And immediately the emotions showed up.

Frustrated.

Stuck.

Like I’m letting myself down.

Then he flipped the question.

Who would you be if you didn’t believe it?

My answer surprised even me.

I said:

“I’d be a man on a mission.”

Someone doing the work.

Someone practicing what he teaches.

He flipped the belief.

Instead of:

“I’m not ready to write my book.”

He suggested we explore the opposite.

“What if the belief was…”

“I’m already writing my book.”

And suddenly something clicked.

Because the truth is… I am writing.

Every newsletter. Every idea. Every conversation like the one with Nir.

I’ve been writing the book all along.

Just not calling it that.

“And just like that, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulder.”

The thing is, it would have been hard to do this for myself.

Think about that. Everyone around you can see your face, but you cannot.

Your beliefs work the same way. You can easily spot other people's limiting beliefs.

You know the ones:

You hear it instantly.

But your own beliefs?

Invisible.

To you, they just feel like reality.

That line alone can change your life. Because most of us treat beliefs like facts.

We think they are permanent. Fixed. Part of who we are.

But they’re not. They’re just stories we tell ourselves.

And the stories we carry quietly shape the direction of our lives. Just like the one I hold about writing a book, just like the one where nobody can run faster than a 4 minute mile.

If you want to use belief as a tool, you need to first hold up a mirror 🪞

If you want to try this yourself, here’s the process Nir walked me through.

Step 1: Find the Friction

Look for something you keep saying you want to do but haven’t.

Write the book.
Launch the business.
Start the podcast.
Have the conversation.

Where there’s friction, there’s a belief.

Step 2: Surface the Belief

Ask yourself:

“What would have to be true for me to keep avoiding this?”

Often the answer appears immediately.

“I’m not ready.”
“I don’t have time.”
“I’m not good enough.”
“It won’t work.”

Write it down.

Step 3: Test the Belief

Ask two questions:

Is it true?

Is it absolutely true?

Not usually.

That crack in certainty is where change begins.

Step 4: Notice the Cost

Ask:

“Who do I become when I believe this?”

Most people describe a smaller version of themselves.

Beliefs shape identity. Identity shapes behavior.

Step 5: Flip the Belief

Now turn the belief around.

Find the opposite.

Example: “I’m not ready to write my book.”

Becomes: “I’m already writing my book.”

Or:

“Writing the book will make me ready.”

Or even:

“I don’t need to be ready.”

Then ask one simple question.

Is it useful?

Beliefs don’t need to be true, it’s a tool you can use. And once you start with that belief and take action against it, it becomes true.

Change the belief… and suddenly you start seeing possibilities that were there all along.

If you like this issue about influencing yourself using beliefs, you’ll want to read:

Change behavior, change lives 🤘🏽

Howie Chan

Creator of Influence Anyone

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P.S. If you haven’t already, go take the free assessment and find out your preferred influence style!

Ever feel like you’re stuck… even though you know what you should be doing?

In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author Nir Eyal (Hooked, Indistractable, and his new book Beyond Belief) to explore how the beliefs we carry shape our behavior—and how flipping the wrong belief can unlock momentum instantly.

In this conversation we unpack:

• Why learned helplessness might actually be our default state
• The surprising reason ADHD diagnoses are skyrocketing
• How placebos can literally change behavior and performance (even in the gym)

If you’ve ever told yourself “I’m not ready yet”, felt stuck chasing the next milestone before starting, or wondered why some beliefs hold us back for years…

This conversation will change how you think about belief and your ability to change it.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple, Spotify, the web, or wherever you get your podcasts.