Ever noticed how, just when things are going really well, something weird happens?
You get a big opportunity and suddenly procrastinate.
You have a great week, then pick a fight, get sick, or self-destruct.
That’s not bad luck.
That’s what The Big Leap calls the Upper Limit Problem.
Gay Hendricks describes it as our subconscious resistance to success, happiness, and abundance, a hidden thermostat that limits how much good we think we can handle.
We all carry old beliefs like:
🔹 “I’m not good enough.”
🔹 “I don’t deserve this.”
🔹 “If I succeed, others will feel bad.”
So when life gets too good, our internal alarm goes off, and we subconsciously sabotage it to get back to “normal.”
🛑 This shows up in:
• Procrastination after momentum
• Sudden anxiety during progress
• Relationship drama when things are peaceful
The solution?
👉 Expand your capacity for success.
Catch yourself in the act and say:
“I’m upper-limiting right now. I’m allowed to feel this good.”
Hendricks says: “Each of us has an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success, and creativity we allow ourselves to enjoy.”
If you want to grow, you don’t just need better habits.
You need to raise that setting.
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📌 Ever caught yourself self-sabotaging after a win?
Let me know below 👇
📩 Get daily insights on self-awareness, productivity & growth → dailyreflections.beehiiv.com
♻️ Repost to help someone break their upper limit.
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Mirjam Poelmans
4d ago
Thank you for the tip!