Jul 13
In this episode, I’m covering the basics of imposter syndrome–what it is, why it develops, and why I believe it impacts so many ADHD women especially–and giving some tips for changing the internal narrative that you aren’t good enough. Imposter syndrome relies on shame and self-doubt to thrive, and when we can step out of that shame and into our most authentic selves, that’s when we take back our power.
Every day I meet amazingly brilliant ADHD women who cannot see their own brilliance. These women may have an impressive list of accomplishments, but because they struggle to keep up with the behind-the-scenes tasks that society tells us are a measurement of our value, all they can focus on are those struggles.
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Quotes:
"If you’re always masking, you’re always working harder than everyone else to keep up, whether that’s in school, your career, or at home, even though you may be very very good and talented at specific things–brilliant, actually–you somehow have this sense that you’re a lot like that proverbial swan who’s peacefully gliding across the water, but under the water you are paddling like hell just to keep up."
- Tracy Otsuka
"When you start putting together a list of all the things that you acomplish every single day, or every single week, you realize that, no, it’s not luck, it’s skill and it’s hard work."
- Tracy Otsuka
"There is no surer way to feel like an imposter than doing work that you have no interest in."
- Tracy Otsuka
"If you’re always masking, you’re always working harder than everyone else to keep up, whether that’s in school, your career, or at home, even though you may be very very good and talented at specific things–brilliant, actually–you somehow have this sense that you’re a lot like that proverbial swan who’s peacefully gliding across the water, but under the water you are paddling like hell just to keep up."
- Tracy Otsuka
"When you start putting together a list of all the things that you acomplish every single day, or every single week, you realize that, no, it’s not luck, it’s skill and it’s hard work."
- Tracy Otsuka
"There is no surer way to feel like an imposter than doing work that you have no interest in."
- Tracy Otsuka
[00:00 - 11:30] Imposter Syndrome and ADHD in Successful Women
[11:30 - 15:59] High-Achieving Women with ADHD
- Tracy discusses impostor syndrome and ADHD in successful women, highlighting the lack of representation of women with ADHD in media and society.
- Tracy encourages ADHD women to embrace their strengths and leave reviews to support the podcast.
- Tracy struggles with masking her weaknesses and feeling like a fraud in her job, despite being good at the subject matter.
[11:30 - 15:59] High-Achieving Women with ADHD
- High-achieving ADHD women often struggle with impostor syndrome, feeling unworthy of their success.
- Individuals with ADHD value receiving rewards less than anticipating them, leading to a phenomenon called "post final depression."
- Tracy discusses how people with ADHD may struggle with impostor syndrome, feeling like they don't deserve their accomplishments and constantly comparing themselves to others.
[15:59 - 22:52] Mindfulness, and Impostor Syndrome
- Tracy shares her experience with ADHD and how she's learned to embrace her weaknesses, such as limited working memory, by being open and honest about her struggles and focusing on her strengths, such as intuition and creativity.
- Tracy discusses imposter syndrome and her own struggles with it, while also previewing an upcoming episode on the topic.
- Women with ADHD can overcome impostor syndrome by tracking progress, building community, and recognizing their strengths.
Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.
Struggling to figure out what to do next? Join the What Do I Do With My Life? Master Class designed to lead you from chaos to confidence.
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EPISODE #183
