You’ve probably heard the phrase “limiting beliefs” many times in personal development circles. It’s a common way to describe those deep-seated thoughts or subconscious patterns that hold us back from reaching our potential. I’ve come across this concept countless times myself.

But I have to admit — while popular, the phrase “limiting beliefs” never fully landed for me. It carried a heaviness, a sense of digging into something complex or permanent, something that felt abstract or even intimidating.

That’s why I prefer a different way of thinking about what’s really going on beneath the surface: mindset constraints.

Rooted in my engineering background and practical experience, this term reframes the inner obstacles in a way that feels lighter, clearer, and more actionable. Today, I want to share why this shift in language and framework matters, and how it can offer you a practical path forward when you feel stuck.

What Are Limiting Beliefs? A Common Framework

In many personal development teachings, limiting beliefs are described as ingrained, subconscious thoughts that restrict our ability to grow or change. You often hear advice to “rewrite,” “reprogram,” or “retrain” these beliefs, usually suggesting deep subconscious work or complex mental rewiring.

There’s value in this perspective — it acknowledges that our internal narratives impact what’s possible in our lives. But for many people, including myself, this framing can feel heavy or overwhelming. The idea of digging into the subconscious and trying to reprogram it can raise questions like: Where do I even start? How long will it take? What if I get stuck in the process?

Sometimes it can make the journey feel less like practical growth and more like an intimidating overhaul of who we are.

Introducing Mindset Constraints — A Practical, Engineering-Inspired Reframe

Enter mindset constraints — a term inspired by my background in engineering and mathematical optimization.

In engineering problems, every system is defined by constraints — rules or limits that shape what solutions are possible. Within those constraints lies the feasible region: the set of solutions that satisfy all those rules.

Now, imagine your mindset as a system defined by internal constraints — your assumptions, fears, beliefs, and identity factors. These create your personal feasible region, or the boundaries of what you see as possible and acceptable in your life.

Here’s the key: mindset constraints are adjustable. Similar to how an engineer might shift (or relax) problem constraints to find new solutions, you can rewrite your mindset constraints to expand what feels possible.

When I started thinking of my mindset — not as a collection of beliefs to "reprogram," but as a set of constraints I could adjust and rewrite to include my goals — it gave me a practical, empowering path forward.

When I started thinking of things this way:

I stopped wondering: “what belief is holding me back?” and

I started to ask myself “Which of my mindset constraints are making this goal infeasible? (and how can I shift the constraint to make my goal feasible)”

That change was HUGE for me! Like flipping on a light.

Key Differences Between Mindset Constraints and Limiting Beliefs

Let’s look at how these two ideas differ in feel, process, and outcome:

• Feel & Experience:
  Limiting beliefs can feel heavy, personal, and ingrained — like buried truths that are hard to change.
  Mindset constraints feel more like adjustable lines you can erase and rewrite.

• Process:
  Reprogramming limiting beliefs often involves deep, subconscious work — which can feel complex or abstract.
  Shifting mindset constraints is an iterative, logical, and lighter process — you observe, edit, and test your internal rules gradually.

• Outcome:
  Both approaches help you to move towards your goals. The mindset constraints framework provides a clearer path for reflecting, adjusting, and expanding your feasible region. It turns growth into a manageable engineering problem — less overwhelming and more empowering.

Why This Shift in Language & Framework Matters for You

This shift from “limiting beliefs” to mindset constraints matters because it makes the journey of getting unstuck feel more accessible and actionable.

When I started thinking this way, it changed everything. I felt empowered like I was solving a puzzle rather than undoing a tangled web inside myself.

For example, instead of wrestling with the idea “To be successful, I must work lots of hours,” I began to see it as a constraint that I could modify. Maybe I could shift this rule to: “I invest my time intentionally to create success and balance.” That simple reframe opened up space for different possibilities, new habits, and less internal conflict.

I invite you to experiment with this shift. Start identifying your own mindset constraints with curiosity rather than judgment. See what happens when you treat those thoughts as lines to be drawn and redrawn — not as personal beliefs to be fixed.

To get started, I invite you to watch my video Get Clear on Why You Are Stuck (An Unconventional Approach from a PhD Engineer), where I share more about mindset constraints and review practical examples to help you understand how mindset constraints make us feel stuck and how to move forward.

If you want personalized insight on your unique mindset constraints and support to identify new pathways forward, I encourage you to get your personalized Get Unstuck Mindset Map.

Mindset engineering is the broader methodology I use that applies engineering principles to mindset work. It’s about identifying constraints, mapping your feasible region, and iterating shifts over time to create meaningful change.

I also encourage you to join the r/SmartCapableStuck community, where fellow smart, capable people explore mindset shifts, get unstuck and support each other.