February 10, 2025 • 11 mins
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Success doesn’t always come with confidence. When self-doubt creeps in, it's easy to dwell on our mistakes, downplay our wins, and let imposter syndrome take over. The key is learning how to recognize and reinforce your own success.
Today, we start with a grounding exercise before diving into proven techniques to shift your mindset and challenge your inner critic. These intentional practices will help you break the cycle of negative self-talk that can hold you back in your career. Listen now to take the first step to overcoming imposter syndrome and stepping into your full potential!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Spiwe Jefferson (00:04):
Welcome to Mindful in 5, where busy
professionals find your peacefuloasis to thrive in complex work
environments.
I am Spiwe Jefferson attorney,certified mindfulness
practitioner and author of theMindful in 5 book series, here
(00:26):
to guide you to a clearer,softer and more supported life.
Join me and your fellow mindfulninjas as we explore
science-backed mindfulnessstrategies for successful
leaders that you can implement,starting with just five minutes
a day.
(00:46):
Elevate your work, empower yourlife, work higher, live
stronger.
Let's go.
Do you sometimes feel like animposter at work, your
confidence clouded by self-doubtand fear of being discovered as
inadequate?
Imposta syndrome can disruptthe joyful flow of your work,
(01:17):
leaving you feeling unsupportedand disconnected from your true
capabilities and achievements.
Today, we are tackling how toovercome imposter syndrome,
bringing a clearer, morepeaceful approach to your
professional self-image.
And, like the kids in thisseason's imagery, I invite you
to come at it with a beginner'smind Curious, trusting,
(01:50):
authentic, creative, resilientand optimistic.
Now, if it is safe to do so,I'm going to ask you to close
your eyes, take a few deepbreaths, inhale and exhale One
more time.
Inhale and exhale.
(02:15):
Keep your eyes closed.
Imagine approaching yourworkday with calm, confidence,
(02:37):
purposefully owning yourachievements and abilities.
By addressing imposter syndrome.
You can create a softer, moresupportive inner dialogue and
unleash your true potential.
So you can open your eyesanytime you're ready.
Let's explore a soothingtechnique that I call the
(03:00):
evidence log, and here's how itworks.
Take some time to think aboutall of your accomplishments
Don't be self-deprecating, thisis just you talking to yourself
and take a moment to write downthe list of everything you're
proud of or everything yourfriends and colleagues have said
(03:23):
that is positive about you.
At the end of each day, take amoment to write down one thing
that you did well or positivefeedback that you received.
When self-doubt creeps in,review your evidence log,
allowing the truth of all thepositive feedback and
(03:44):
accomplishments.
To reassure you, I had aprofessional coach once who
suggested establishing a kudosfolder.
Every time somebody sends youan email or an attaboy or
attagirl, you put it in yourkudos folder and that way, when
(04:05):
self-doubt creeps in, you goback and you review what people
have said about you.
Big things, small things,doesn't matter.
But the thing that you might besurprised by is, over time, how
much stuff you collect in yourkudos folder, because in the
moment it might feel like thisonesie, twosie thing, and if
(04:27):
you're one of those people whodoesn't accept accolades.
Well, you might try and deflectand you might say, oh, it
wasn't really me, it was theteam, and you kind of forget
about it.
Because most of us tend to bevery self-judgmental and we
focus much more on the negativethings people say to us than the
(04:47):
positive things that they sayto us, than the positive things
that they say.
So the other rationale forhaving a kudos folder is it
preserves all those nice thingsso that even if in the moment
you try and ignore it or yousort of put it aside and pretend
it wasn't that important, theability that you have to go back
(05:08):
and just look and take alongitudinal view of what nice
things people have said aboutyou, the things you have
accomplished, all those thingscan have a really positive
impact when you are feeling lowand down on yourself.
And that takes us to step four.
(05:29):
And that takes us to step fourReflect on how your actions
align with your professionalvalues, finding that clear
purpose in your work.
Studies show that regularlyacknowledging our achievements
can significantly reducefeelings of imposter syndrome,
(05:49):
fostering a more peaceful andconfident work experience.
Keeping an achievement logtriggers dopamine and, once
released, that can reinforce theneural pathways associated with
success recognition.
This biochemical processcounteracts imposter syndrome's
(06:11):
negative thought patterns inthree ways.
First, by reducing anxiety by23% through regular
self-reflection.
Second, it can increaseemotional resilience through
documented wins.
No-transcript.
(06:38):
Overcoming imposter syndrome isabout recognizing and embracing
your own clear worth andcapabilities.
So this week I invite you tostart your evidence log and
commit to adding it to eachday's reflection.
Notice how it brings a softer,more supported energy to your
(07:02):
self-perception.
You can even use some of thosecomponents from your evidence
log and turn them intoaffirmations that you repeat to
yourself every day, because,after all, if you are one of
those people who's in the habitof saying very negative things
to yourself, that habit isn'tgoing to go away in a day just
(07:26):
because you created a log.
So you might need to alsocreate a habit of reviewing
certain things, specific thingsfrom your evidence log on a
daily basis to start tocounteract those negative
thought habits that you havecreated over time.
You know it's easy to talk aboutyour strengths and achievements
(07:50):
, but well, it's easy for us totalk about them here.
But sometimes it can be hard tocombat that sense of not
feeling like you're good enough.
It can take time and effort tocontinually pump yourself up.
So I'm not saying that it'seasy to do.
What I am saying is that withconsistent practice you can
(08:14):
start to overcome those negativeself-reflections that you have
created.
You created them over time.
It will take time to get pastthem.
In the book Mindful in Five,sangeeta Patel has a hard time
seeing her strengths.
There is a chapter devoted tothis.
(08:35):
She can't even come up withfive things when she is
challenged to do so.
So what she does is what wetalked about earlier.
She leans heavily on what herfriends and colleagues have said
to her to find those strengths.
You too can take her example.
Click the link in the shownotes to pick up your copy of
(08:58):
Mindful in 5 or the God Loversedition and start setting
yourself up for a clearer, morejoyful success experience in
this new year.
Overcoming imposter syndrome canbe a journey of self-discovery
and peaceful self-acceptance.
(09:19):
I say all the time mindfulnessis about being present in the
moment without judgment andwithout being overwhelmed by
what's happening around you.
Imposter syndrome has a lot ofjudgment built in I'm not good
enough, I don't belong here.
You judge yourself, you judgeyour performance and whatever
(09:41):
else you find lacking withinyourself by acknowledging your
achievements with clearintention, you honor your
potential and create a moresupportive, confident
professional presence.
May your work and your life befilled with clear confidence and
(10:02):
joyful self-assurance.
You can try these approaches athome and if you need
professional assistance gettingout of that negative loop in
your mind, there's no shame inthat.
Either Consult a professional,consult a counselor or whatever
you need to get yourself out ofthat loop.
(10:23):
So until next week this isSpewe saying be mindful and be
well.
James@DiscovertheVoice (10:31):
Thank you for listening to Mindful in
5.
If you enjoyed it, share itwith a friend, follow and rate
it on your favorite podcastplatform.
Pick up your signed copy of thebook and journal from
https://www.
spiwejefferson.
com/, or unsigned copies fromAmazon, barnes, noble or
wherever you get your books.
Visit https://www.
(10:52):
spiwejefferson.
com/ to download sample chaptersof the book, watch videos and
become a mindful ninja.
Join us on the LinkedIn Mindfulin 5 group and share your
thoughts.
Until next time, be mindful andbe well.
Welcome to Mindful in 5, where busy
professionals find your peacefuloasis to thrive in complex work
environments.
I am Spiwe Jefferson attorney,certified mindfulness
practitioner and author of theMindful in 5 book series, here
(00:26):
to guide you to a clearer,softer and more supported life.
Join me and your fellow mindfulninjas as we explore
science-backed mindfulnessstrategies for successful
leaders that you can implement,starting with just five minutes
a day.
(00:46):
Elevate your work, empower yourlife, work higher, live
stronger.
Let's go.
Do you sometimes feel like animposter at work, your
confidence clouded by self-doubtand fear of being discovered as
inadequate?
Imposta syndrome can disruptthe joyful flow of your work,
(01:17):
leaving you feeling unsupportedand disconnected from your true
capabilities and achievements.
Today, we are tackling how toovercome imposter syndrome,
bringing a clearer, morepeaceful approach to your
professional self-image.
And, like the kids in thisseason's imagery, I invite you
to come at it with a beginner'smind Curious, trusting,
(01:50):
authentic, creative, resilientand optimistic.
Now, if it is safe to do so,I'm going to ask you to close
your eyes, take a few deepbreaths, inhale and exhale One
more time.
Inhale and exhale.
(02:15):
Keep your eyes closed.
Imagine approaching yourworkday with calm, confidence,
(02:37):
purposefully owning yourachievements and abilities.
By addressing imposter syndrome.
You can create a softer, moresupportive inner dialogue and
unleash your true potential.
So you can open your eyesanytime you're ready.
Let's explore a soothingtechnique that I call the
(03:00):
evidence log, and here's how itworks.
Take some time to think aboutall of your accomplishments
Don't be self-deprecating, thisis just you talking to yourself
and take a moment to write downthe list of everything you're
proud of or everything yourfriends and colleagues have said
(03:23):
that is positive about you.
At the end of each day, take amoment to write down one thing
that you did well or positivefeedback that you received.
When self-doubt creeps in,review your evidence log,
allowing the truth of all thepositive feedback and
(03:44):
accomplishments.
To reassure you, I had aprofessional coach once who
suggested establishing a kudosfolder.
Every time somebody sends youan email or an attaboy or
attagirl, you put it in yourkudos folder and that way, when
(04:05):
self-doubt creeps in, you goback and you review what people
have said about you.
Big things, small things,doesn't matter.
But the thing that you might besurprised by is, over time, how
much stuff you collect in yourkudos folder, because in the
moment it might feel like thisonesie, twosie thing, and if
(04:27):
you're one of those people whodoesn't accept accolades.
Well, you might try and deflectand you might say, oh, it
wasn't really me, it was theteam, and you kind of forget
about it.
Because most of us tend to bevery self-judgmental and we
focus much more on the negativethings people say to us than the
(04:47):
positive things that they sayto us, than the positive things
that they say.
So the other rationale forhaving a kudos folder is it
preserves all those nice thingsso that even if in the moment
you try and ignore it or yousort of put it aside and pretend
it wasn't that important, theability that you have to go back
(05:08):
and just look and take alongitudinal view of what nice
things people have said aboutyou, the things you have
accomplished, all those thingscan have a really positive
impact when you are feeling lowand down on yourself.
And that takes us to step four.
(05:29):
And that takes us to step fourReflect on how your actions
align with your professionalvalues, finding that clear
purpose in your work.
Studies show that regularlyacknowledging our achievements
can significantly reducefeelings of imposter syndrome,
(05:49):
fostering a more peaceful andconfident work experience.
Keeping an achievement logtriggers dopamine and, once
released, that can reinforce theneural pathways associated with
success recognition.
This biochemical processcounteracts imposter syndrome's
(06:11):
negative thought patterns inthree ways.
First, by reducing anxiety by23% through regular
self-reflection.
Second, it can increaseemotional resilience through
documented wins.
No-transcript.
(06:38):
Overcoming imposter syndrome isabout recognizing and embracing
your own clear worth andcapabilities.
So this week I invite you tostart your evidence log and
commit to adding it to eachday's reflection.
Notice how it brings a softer,more supported energy to your
(07:02):
self-perception.
You can even use some of thosecomponents from your evidence
log and turn them intoaffirmations that you repeat to
yourself every day, because,after all, if you are one of
those people who's in the habitof saying very negative things
to yourself, that habit isn'tgoing to go away in a day just
(07:26):
because you created a log.
So you might need to alsocreate a habit of reviewing
certain things, specific thingsfrom your evidence log on a
daily basis to start tocounteract those negative
thought habits that you havecreated over time.
You know it's easy to talk aboutyour strengths and achievements
(07:50):
, but well, it's easy for us totalk about them here.
But sometimes it can be hard tocombat that sense of not
feeling like you're good enough.
It can take time and effort tocontinually pump yourself up.
So I'm not saying that it'seasy to do.
What I am saying is that withconsistent practice you can
(08:14):
start to overcome those negativeself-reflections that you have
created.
You created them over time.
It will take time to get pastthem.
In the book Mindful in Five,sangeeta Patel has a hard time
seeing her strengths.
There is a chapter devoted tothis.
(08:35):
She can't even come up withfive things when she is
challenged to do so.
So what she does is what wetalked about earlier.
She leans heavily on what herfriends and colleagues have said
to her to find those strengths.
You too can take her example.
Click the link in the shownotes to pick up your copy of
(08:58):
Mindful in 5 or the God Loversedition and start setting
yourself up for a clearer, morejoyful success experience in
this new year.
Overcoming imposter syndrome canbe a journey of self-discovery
and peaceful self-acceptance.
(09:19):
I say all the time mindfulnessis about being present in the
moment without judgment andwithout being overwhelmed by
what's happening around you.
Imposter syndrome has a lot ofjudgment built in I'm not good
enough, I don't belong here.
You judge yourself, you judgeyour performance and whatever
(09:41):
else you find lacking withinyourself by acknowledging your
achievements with clearintention, you honor your
potential and create a moresupportive, confident
professional presence.
May your work and your life befilled with clear confidence and
(10:02):
joyful self-assurance.
You can try these approaches athome and if you need
professional assistance gettingout of that negative loop in
your mind, there's no shame inthat.
Either Consult a professional,consult a counselor or whatever
you need to get yourself out ofthat loop.
(10:23):
So until next week this isSpewe saying be mindful and be
well.
James@DiscovertheVoice (10:31):
Thank you for listening to Mindful in
5.
If you enjoyed it, share itwith a friend, follow and rate
it on your favorite podcastplatform.
Pick up your signed copy of thebook and journal from
https://www.
spiwejefferson.
com/, or unsigned copies fromAmazon, barnes, noble or
wherever you get your books.
Visit https://www.
(10:52):
spiwejefferson.
com/ to download sample chaptersof the book, watch videos and
become a mindful ninja.
Join us on the LinkedIn Mindfulin 5 group and share your
thoughts.
Until next time, be mindful andbe well.
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