self-criticism

adequately inadequate

Adequately inadequate

Here’s how to break free of the inadequacy trap, even when you feel stressed and downhearted about it. Even when it’s become a daily torment. I know you want to be perfect all the time and feel confident BEFORE you begin work. We all do. But today if you actually feel worn out, jaded and …

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get-out-of-jail-free

The perils and payoffs of self-doubt

I grew up with self-doubt. My childhood was long on criticism, short on encouragement. I learned to question my own performance automatically, thinking I had to do something more to be accepted. It was painful, but as a kid, being found wanting by your caregiver is frightening and renders compliance alluring. In my case, self-hatred …

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Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome

OK, confession… I once quit a pivotal role in a startup because of imposter syndrome, only to hear later that my boss thought the exact opposite of me, and was gutted when I left. Most of my clients actually come to me with so little energy, enjoyment and reward at work that they are considering …

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self-criticism

New Year Resolution First-Aid

New Year’s Resolutions going well? When we make New Year’s Resolutions, we’re often being a tiny bit optimistic. I think we mostly know this. Looking at what happened in previous years, it seems a big ask to expect this change to work. Largely we’re driven by guilt at what we didn’t achieve last year and …

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