Years ago, a young athlete met with me. She recently was invited to play for the national team in her sport. This was an honor she earned through her skill and through structuring her life to be focused on her mark.

She was delighted, but immediately, agnosing self-doubt crept in.

What if she wasn’t that good? What if she’s just lucky?

On the outside, she seemed calm and confident, but on the inside, insecurity ruled. She believed any success she made was a house of cards. The slightest wind would knock it down.

I asked why she thought she was chosen. She said luck. It didn’t occur to her that she had been a stand-out player with a similar work ethic her whole life. Self-doubt discounted everything about her.

In this newsletter, we will discuss self-perception and how to build it up.

Self-perception is the view we have about ourselves, our characteristics, and our judgments about our traits. Self-perception includes our self-concept (the image we have in our heads of who we are) and our self-esteem (how we judge the characteristics we possess.

When you've faced constant discounting throughout your life, it's easy to underestimate your potential while overestimating others. This self-perception distortion can be a common challenge. Remember, you are worth more than you might realize. You find it by looking for evidence.

When evaluating others, we tend to be cautious and consider their positive qualities. But when evaluating ourselves, we may overlook our strengths and overly focus on possible weaknesses.

Many ADHDers possess a unique skill – the ability to extrapolate and make sense of incomplete information. Unfortunately, they often underestimate this ability and assume everyone can do the same.

What to Do About It

Compare Yourself Consciously with Others: It's okay to compare yourself to others consciously, especially those with similar skills. First, do an honest assessment of yourself. You may need a good friend to help you with this so you can advocate for yourself effectively.

Find an External Sensor: Seek feedback from a reliable third party to gain a more objective perspective.

Know Your Load Limit: Be mindful of the increasing mental load of additional tasks.

Start Small: When overwhelmed, completing a small task can provide a sense of accomplishment.

Avoid Overexertion: It's common to feel the need to prove yourself, but pushing too hard can lead to overexertion.

Build in Structure: Many ADHDers succeed within a structured environment. If you're an entrepreneur, consider creating a supportive structure to guide your efforts.

News

Course! I’m creating a cohort-style class to help with productivity, connecting, and creating a life you love. If this interests you, please email and fill out the poll below!

Consultation and training: I’m doing more workshops on how to work with distractible folks from an evidenced-based perspective. Please email if you are interested in either.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Sincerely

-Drew