492. The Science of Self-Doubt: Transform Fear Into Your Superpower

The ONE Thing

NOVA Media

Entrepreneurship, Business, Careers

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 February 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Have you ever felt like a fraud? Like you're just one step away from being "found out"—that you're not as capable as others believe you to be? If so, you're not alone. Imposter syndrome affects up to 70% of high achievers at some point, making them question their worth and downplay their accomplishments. In this episode, we explore the roots of imposter syndrome, how it manifests, and why it’s so common among high achievers. Jay shares research-backed insights into why we experience these feelings, from the Dunning-Kruger effect to the brain’s natural tendency to protect us from risk. But self-doubt doesn’t have to hold us back. Jay lays out seven strategies to move through imposter syndrome. From recognizing how self-doubt impacts the brain to reframing negative thoughts, preparing for success, and celebrating small wins, he offers practical ways to shift our mindset. Challenge of the Week: Validate your self-doubt. When high-stakes moments hit—before a big meeting or tough decision—pause and acknowledge it. Tell yourself: “I’m nervous because this matters. It’s scary, but that doesn’t mean I’m not good enough. Feeling this way is normal.” Your doubt is real, but it doesn’t define you. It might even be pushing you to prepare better. This week, when doubt shows up, recognize it, accept it, and move forward anyway. *** To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: the1thing.com/pods. We talk about: How imposter syndrome develops and why high achievers are more likely to experience it. The connection between self-doubt and the brain’s instinct to protect us from failure. Seven strategies to overcome self-doubt and build lasting confidence. Links & Tools from This Episode: Episode 440. Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform Your Life Read: Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima Read: Amazon.com: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Read: Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen Read: Amazon.com: The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Free Resources Want to be a guest or share feedback? Email [email protected] or send us an audio note at Speakpipe.com/the1thing. Produced by NOVA

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jay Papazan, and this is the One Thing, your weekly guide to the simple steps that lead to extraordinary results.
0:18.3	This week, we're going to be talking about self-doubt, the imposter syndrome, something that you've probably felt.
0:24.6	I mean, have you ever wondered when will everybody figure out that I'm actually a fraud, that I'm just a phony?
0:30.8	I'm not good enough to be doing what I'm doing.
0:33.6	Have you ever attributed your success to luck or outside factors?
0:38.1	Have you ever agonized over even the smallest flaws or mistakes that you might have made?
0:44.8	Do you sometimes self-sabotage before you even start?
0:48.7	Right.
0:49.0	This instinct to doubt your own abilities can self-sabotage so you never even get out of the starting gate.
0:55.4	If any of those sound like you, I think you'll get a lot out of this episode. And I'm just going to
1:00.8	give a nod to my friend Jamie Kern Lima. We had her on the podcast back in episode 440.
1:07.6	She was talking about her great book Worthy. And we've got a few quotes from her in this podcast
1:12.5	because she's talking about self-worth, which is very related to self-doubt and definitely
1:18.6	is on the path to imposter syndrome. And we'll link to that in the episode show notes. So without
1:23.5	further ado, let's dive in and talk about what exactly is this thing, imposter
1:28.5	syndrome, and how does it show up? The imposter syndrome is the form of self-doubt, and it's a fear
1:37.3	that shows up, maybe an ongoing fear, often suffered by high achievers, people who actually
1:42.3	perform at a high level, seem to suffer
1:44.6	from it more than others. And it's this idea that they're going to be unmask, that they're going
1:49.6	to be found out to not be as good as everybody thinks they are. Now, the imposter phenomenon,
1:56.2	as it was originally known, was coined in 1978. It was by researchers Pauline Clance and Dr.
2:03.8	Suzanne Imes, and when they published their research called the Imposter Phenomenon for High
	...

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