56 Adversity, euphoria, and imposter syndrome

No. 56 – 29 Dec 2023

Welcome to the 56th edition of the True Progress Newsletter, a weekly newsletter on beating fear and anxiety for optimal performance.

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Article

As we step into the New Year, our enthusiasm for crafting resolutions and new challenges is palpable. To stay on track, it's essential to rekindle our relationship with adversity so we can be better prepared for the inevitable waves that come.

— Read more​

Quote

Cory Booker:

"If you fear it, you give it power. If you face it, you gain the strength. If you hate it, you increase darkness. If you love it, you bring the light."

Insight

Everyone fears getting criticized, so, we play it safe. Playing it safe robs you of living your best self. Here are 7 science-backed ways to become a better receiver of criticism:

1. Know your tendencies, i.e., patterns in how you respond. Are you automatically defensive, argumentative? Do you just ignore the feedback?

2. Separate the content of the feedback from the giver of the feedback. Then consider both the content and the giver.

3. Change your perspective on feedback and see it as potential coaching. See it as potentially valuable advice from a fresh perspective.

4. Evaluate the feedback. Unpack it and see what it’s about. Analyze it. Where is it coming from and where’s it going?

5. Be proactive about it, i.e., seek it out and don’t wait to get it. You’re less likely to get defensive about it. You can ask, “What’s one thing you see me doing (or failing to do) that holds me back?”

6. Put the feedback into practice with small experiments. You want to do small experiments to see if it helps you, if not, throw it out.

7. Build a community of support who can give you frank feedback. Build relationships with supporters you can trust and won’t make you defensive.

Emotion Signpost

Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.

It's key to decreasing fear and anxiety, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of yourself and others.

Here are 2 to explore:

Saudade

Definition | A feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia that is characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament.

Origin | Portuguese.

Euphoria

Definition | A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.

Origin | Modern Latin, from Greek, from euphoros ‘borne well, healthy’, from eu ‘well’ + pherein ‘to bear’.

Question

Imposter syndrome happens when high-achieving individuals doubt their capabilities, even though there's clear evidence of their competence.

They find it hard to accept their own success, leading to constant self-doubt, anxiety, and fear of being exposed as a fraud in their work.

Do you ever doubt yourself? If so, what does it cause you to miss out on?

Happy New Year and till next week,
— Carlos & Stef