Identity-Level Therapy Guides

Impaired Autonomy & Performance

Limiting Beliefs in the Impaired Autonomy & Performance Schema Domain

This Schema Domain shows up when the nervous system learns that life is “too much” or “too dangerous” to handle. Beliefs in this space often say you will fail, break, or fall apart without someone stronger leading the way.

When the world feels unsafe, overwhelming, or unpredictable—you stop trusting your own capacity.

This page maps the core Lifetraps and limiting beliefs inside this Schema Domain—so you can see how identity-level patterns are structured and how they may be showing up in perfectionism, shutdown, overfunctioning, or anxiety.

Many people find it helpful to have language for what has felt like “just the way I am.” Naming the pattern is not the same as diagnosing it, but it can create a clearer starting point for change.

Looking for the full Limiting Belief Library? Jump to this domain inside the Core Beliefs Library or explore the full map at /core-beliefs/.

Lifetraps in Impaired Autonomy & Performance

Each Lifetrap is a recurring pattern between what you expect, how you feel, and how you cope. Below are the Lifetraps in this domain and some of the beliefs that often sit underneath them.

Failure

Beliefs about being destined to fail, disappoint, or never quite measure up.

Examples of beliefs in this Lifetrap:

  • Periodic table-style icon for the limiting belief “I Am A Failure”
    4. “I Am A Failure”

    You don’t just fear failure — you expect it.
    This belief doesn’t whisper; it narrates everything.
    It tells you not to try because it “won’t work anyway.”
    It tells you effort is dangerous — because failure isn’t just a result, it’s an identity.

  • Core Belief Di – “I Am A Disappointment” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    20. “I Am A Disappointment”

    This belief doesn’t just weigh on you — it shapes how you move through every interaction.
    You don’t want to let people down.
    But underneath that?
    You already believe you will.

  • Core Belief Ngo – “I Am No Good” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    23. “I Am No Good”

    This Belief Doesn’t Just Hurt — It Condemns You.
    “I Am No Good” is different from feeling guilty for what you’ve done.
    It’s the belief that who you are — at the core — is wrong, bad, or harmful.

  • ShiftGrit belief tile for “I Am Inadequate” featuring Ina symbol on white background
    49. “I Am Inadequate”

    You’ve probably heard “do your best — that’s enough.”
    But when this belief is active, enough is never actually enough.
    “I Am Inadequate” isn’t about effort. It’s about identity.
    It says: “No matter what I do, I’ll never measure up.”

  • "I Will Fail" belief tile – ShiftGrit Core Belief #58 (Wf symbol) on white background.
    58. “I Will Fail”

    You’ve probably heard “failure is part of success.”
    But when this belief is active, failure doesn’t feel temporary—it feels inevitable.
    “I Will Fail” isn’t just doubt about a specific goal or task.
    It says: “No matter what I try, ultimately, it’s going to collapse.”
    When this loop becomes your internal script, the fear of failing can paralyze you before you even begin.

  • ShiftGrit Core Belief icon reading “I Am Mediocre” with symbol Me in bold text on white background.
    65. “I Am Mediocre”

    You’ve probably heard “average isn’t a bad thing.”
    But when this belief is active, average doesn’t feel acceptable—it feels shameful.
    “I Am Mediocre” isn’t about lacking extraordinary talent.
    It says: “I’m not good enough at anything to be special or truly valued.”
    When this belief defines your self-perception, even your genuine achievements feel diminished, reinforcing your internal sense of never being enough.

  • Core belief tile reading “I Am A Loser” with symbol “Lo” from ShiftGrit’s identity-level therapy belief system
    66. “I Am A Loser”

    You’ve probably heard “everyone wins and loses sometimes.”
    But when this belief is active, you don’t just experience losses—you feel defined by them.
    “I Am a Loser” isn’t about occasionally coming up short.
    It says: “Failure is who I am, not something I experience.”
    When this belief shapes your self-image, every challenge feels overwhelming, reinforcing your internal identity as incapable and defeated.

  • Black and white minimalist tile featuring the words “I Am Lazy” and the symbol “La” representing core belief #76
    76. “I Am Lazy”

    You’ve probably heard “you just need more discipline.”
    But when this belief is active, effort doesn’t feel motivating—it feels humiliating.
    “I Am Lazy” isn’t just about not doing enough.
    It says: “There’s something inherently wrong with me. I lack the drive, willpower, or worthiness to try.”
    This belief makes rest feel undeserved, effort feel futile, and self-respect nearly impossible.

Dependence / Incompetence

Feeling incapable, slow, or unable to cope without someone else to lean on.

Examples of beliefs in this Lifetrap:

  • “I Am Incapable” — belief card used in ShiftGrit’s Core Belief therapy model
    9. “I Am Incapable”

    This belief doesn’t sound loud — it settles in like fog.
    When “I Am Incapable” is running the system, tasks feel heavier, decisions feel harder, and even small actions trigger internal shutdown. You don’t just feel overwhelmed — you feel like you were never built to handle life the way others can.

  • Core Belief Cs – “I Cannot Succeed” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    12. “I Cannot Succeed”

    This belief doesn’t whisper doubt — it declares defeat.
    When “I Cannot Succeed” is running the show, effort feels pointless.
    You might start strong, but the deeper pattern says:
    “No matter what I do, it won’t work.”

  • Core Belief St – “I Am Stupid” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    30. “I Am Stupid”

    This Belief Doesn’t Just Humiliate You — It Silences You.
    “I Am Stupid” doesn’t always show up as insecurity.
    It shows up as silence, hesitation, and avoidance.

  • "Sl — I Am Slow" belief tile from the ShiftGrit Pattern Library. A performance-based identity distortion addressed in identity-level therapy.
    45. “I Am Slow”

    You’ve probably heard the phrase “everyone moves at their own pace.”
    But when this belief is active, it doesn’t feel that way.
    “I Am Slow” isn’t about patience — it’s about identity.
    This belief says: “I’m behind... I can’t keep up.”

  • ShiftGrit Core Belief visual tile: “I Am Useless” with bold Us symbol and tile number 63
    63. “I Am Useless”

    You’ve probably heard “everyone has something to offer.”
    But when this belief is active, you don’t see your own contributions—you see yourself as inherently without value.
    “I Am Useless” isn’t about lacking a specific skill or talent.
    It says: “I don’t have anything meaningful to offer; I bring nothing to the table.”
    When this belief defines you, you shrink away from opportunities, convinced your presence adds no value.

  • Belief tile reading “I Am Helpless” with the symbol He and number 64 from ShiftGrit’s Core Belief Identity Library.
    64. “I Am Helpless”

    You’ve probably heard “you’re stronger than you think.”
    But when this belief is active, you don’t see your own strength—you feel fundamentally powerless.
    “I Am Helpless” isn’t about occasionally needing support or guidance.
    It says: “I have no control over my life or outcomes; I can’t effectively influence anything.”
    When this belief shapes your reality, your sense of agency diminishes, leaving you feeling trapped and powerless.

Vulnerability to Harm

Living as though danger is just around the corner—always scanning for the next bad thing.

Examples of beliefs in this Lifetrap:

  • Core Belief Vu – “I Am Vulnerable” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    26. “I Am Vulnerable”

    This Belief Doesn’t Just Scare You — It Keeps You Braced.
    When “I Am Vulnerable” takes root, it doesn’t show up as fear — it shows up as control.
    Hyper-planning. Over-researching. Constant scanning.
    Not because you’re weak, but because your nervous system doesn’t believe the world is safe.

  • Core Belief Id – “I Am In Danger” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    27. “I Am In Danger”

    This Belief Doesn’t Just Alarm You — It Hijacks You.
    “I Am In Danger” isn’t just about panic attacks or fear.
    It’s about the feeling that at any moment, something terrible could happen — and you won’t be able to stop it.

  • Minimalist black-and-white image representing hypervigilance and anticipatory fear for the belief “Bad Things Are Going To Happen.”
    32. “Bad Things Are Going To Happen”

    This Belief Doesn’t Just Worry You — It Haunts You.
    The belief “Bad Things Are Going To Happen” isn’t about logic — it’s about felt threat.
    Even when things are good, part of you is bracing for the drop.

  • ShiftGrit belief tile reading “I Am Fragile” with Fr identity symbol on white background
    50. “I Am Fragile”

    You’ve probably heard “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
    But when this belief is active, it feels like even small things might kill you.
    “I Am Fragile” doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means your system is constantly bracing for collapse.
    It says: “I can’t handle pressure, intensity, or difficulty without breaking down.”

Enmeshment / Undeveloped Self

Losing track of your own needs, preferences, or identity because they’ve been fused with someone else’s.

Examples of beliefs in this Lifetrap:

  • Core Belief Ni – “I Am Not In Control” – ShiftGrit Periodic Table of Limiting Beliefs
    16. “I Am Not in Control”

    This belief doesn’t just create stress — it creates collapse.
    You don’t just feel like things are out of your hands. You believe they always have been.
    So you disengage. You tolerate. You wait for impact.
    Because if you’re not in control, why try? Why speak? Why fight back?
    This isn’t surrender — it’s learned futility, and it can shape your whole identity.

  • Core belief tile “I Am Unbalanced” with Unb symbol in bold
    57. “I Am Unbalanced”

    You’ve probably heard “everyone has their ups and downs.”
    But when this belief is active, it doesn’t feel like normal fluctuation—it feels like instability.
    “I Am Unbalanced” isn’t about having emotional days or tough phases.
    It says: “I can’t trust myself to stay steady. I’m always on the edge of losing control.”

  • Core belief tile for “I Am Weak” with symbol We in black on white background.
    62. “I Am Weak”

    You’ve probably heard “everyone has strengths and weaknesses.”
    But when this belief is active, you don’t see yourself as having weaknesses—you see yourself as fundamentally weak.
    “I Am Weak” isn’t about occasional vulnerability or struggle.
    It says: “I don’t have the strength or capability to handle life’s challenges.”

Important: This library is intended for education and self-reflection only. It does not provide a diagnosis, and it’s not a substitute for working with a qualified mental health professional.


How Identity-Level Therapy Works with Limiting Beliefs

Mapping beliefs is the first step. In therapy, we don’t just name the pattern—we focus on the identity-level loops that seem to keep it active, using structured exercises that are intended to help your nervous system update old rules that no longer fit your current life.

1. Map the Pattern

We trace how a belief—like “I Am Not Good Enough” or “I Am A Failure”—links to specific triggers, emotions, body responses, and coping moves such as overworking, avoidance, or shutdown. This gives us a clear, shared map of what actually happens when the pattern turns on.

2. Work at the Identity Level

Within Identity-Level Therapy, we use targeted imaginal and experiential exercises aimed at updating the belief at the schema level. Over time, many people find it becomes easier to register new information about safety, worth, and control, rather than defaulting to old conclusions.

3. Practise New Responses

We then practise new responses in-session and between sessions, so any shifts in belief have more opportunity to show up in real life—at work, in relationships, and under pressure. The goal is more flexibility and choice, not perfection.

Want to see how this fits into the broader ShiftGrit approach?
Explore Identity-Level Therapy to see how we organise therapy around patterns, not just symptoms.


Identity-Level Therapy

Identity-Level Therapy targets the belief patterns and emotional loops driving automatic reactions—not just the surface symptoms. By working at the identity layer, clients shift how they interpret safety, regulate threat, and relate to themselves and others. The result: reconditioning at the root of shame, self-sabotage, reactivity, and overwhelm.

It’s organized around three pillars: