[7-minute read]

Let’s talk about imposter syndrome. If you’re not familiar with the term, Harvard Business Review defines it as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.

Many people who struggle with imposter syndrome were naturally intelligent, high-performing, well-behaved children who were abundantly praised for their achievements. These children grew up feeling like they were born smart, talented, etc. and learned to lean heavily on their natural abilities. They learned to perform for praise, rewards and acceptance from parents, teachers and peers rather than achieving because of their own intrinsic motivation (behavior driven by internal rewards).

Most of the research and writing about imposter syndrome is framed within a workplace context, but it can also show up in relationships and parenting. Those who feel like imposters in relationships assume they’ve somehow tricked their friends into liking them, always expecting rejection. Parents experiencing the imposter cycle question themselves constantly, feeling personally responsible for their children’s development, choices and achievements.

This phenomenon is incredibly prevalent among millennials. We grew up with more opportunity, technological advances and wealth than most prior generations. Expectations were high, and college was not optional. We flooded the workforce just as the economy tanked in 2008, riddled with student loan debt and viewed with suspicion by older generations. Many of us are in our 30s, still feeling like the “young kid” who has something to prove, even if we out-perform our older peers.

Outside of work, we came of age alongside budding social media networks and smartphones. We began life with organic friendships among people we knew in real life, handling conflicts and hearing about big news in person—blissfully unaware if people were hanging out without us. We passed folded notes in class and only compared ourselves to the girls immediately around us rather than airbrushed influencers we’d never met. 

But by the end of college, Facebook connected us to every person we’d ever known and constantly made us aware of what they were thinking, doing and achieving. Instagram flooded our minds with image after perfect image. Likes became the new currency of praise and popularity. And, of course, somewhere in there Pinterest burst onto the scene, adding additional pressure for women to dress, decorate and cook with perfection.

So what does all of this do to us? What does imposter syndrome look like in real life?

• It looks like a high-achieving individual who constantly downplays his strengths, chalks up success to luck and fears being exposed as a fraud.
• She deflects compliments, feels like she has something to prove and struggles with anxiety.
• He’s never able to rest, fearing if he stops hustling, someone more qualified will take his spot.
• She constantly feels like she’s failing her children and being silently judged by those around her. She compensates by posting her best moments on Instagram, making sure everyone sees how hard she’s working.
• She can’t fully let her guard down around peers, fearing she’ll be rejected for not fitting into the right mold.

+++

I feel this. For me, the past decade has been a marathon of striving—to “make a difference,” for professional success and to garner admiration, friendship, approval and respect from as many people as possible. It has felt like a cycle of mountaintop moments when I felt brilliant and universally loved followed by dark seasons when I was convinced I had zero skills and every person I knew pretended to like me because they were being polite.

Anyone else? Do you feel it? The exhaustion, the pressure, the fear of rejection, the addiction to external rewards for behaviors that should be intrinsically motivated? How do we overcome this? What is the cure?

Here are a few things I’m learning. I’d love to hear ideas from you, too—I’m smack dab in the middle of this journey.

1. Push through self-doubt and pursue what you love. I struggle so hard with this. Even with this newsletter, I haven’t promoted it like I know I should from a marketing standpoint because I’m worried people will think I’m conceited or that they’ll subscribe and think, “This girl thinks SHE’S a writer?” Even though I’ve been paid to write for over 10 years and have had hundreds of articles published, I still have a hard time calling myself a writer. I still have anxiety every time I submit a piece of writing for a magazine or a marketing client, regardless of the positive feedback I receive.
   The only advice I can offer on this point is to DO. THE. DAMN. THING. I love writing. I want to improve. I feel compelled to share my thoughts with others. I can’t get over it. There is nothing else I want to do. It makes me happy, and I want to do it even if I never receive any financial compensation for it. So here we are.
   What is your dream? What are you good at, and who do you want to share it with? DO IT SCARED, SISTER. Don’t do it for praise. Do it for passion, purpose and dare I say... fun? 
   
   
2. Develop those intrinsic motivation skills. This is extremely difficult when we have the ability to share everything we do—from taking our child to the park to cooking a healthy dinner to getting a promotion—with hundreds of people, guaranteeing instant praise. Those likes and comments are addicting! And sometimes, sharing our lives online is part of our work. What can we do?
   TRY THIS: ((I do not currently practice any of these suggestions, but I’m loving these ideas that just popped into my head and I’m going to start TODAY… so please hold me accountable, Instagram friends))
   *For social media specifically, take photos and feel free to post them, but make yourself wait. Instead of snapping the pic and immediately sharing, wait until a specified time each day to share—after the kids are in bed, maybe? Sometimes, you’ll realize after a few hours that you want to keep those sacred, wonderful moments private. Or maybe you want to share. The point you've given it some thought. 
   *Ask yourself why you’re sharing—will this content elevate you in the minds of others, or will it bring some kind of value to their feed? Cute kid pics are always of value, in my opinion. But that dinner you made—are you sharing the beautiful picture to make yourself look good, or are you also sharing the recipe to help another mama out? I LOVE following people who give me ideas, hacks, tips and wisdom. I feel super inadequate following people who share their achievements without sharing their secrets. 😉 
   *If social media is not your external reward addiction center like it is mine, identify yours and put some parameters around it.
   
   
3. If you struggle with imposter syndrome at work, discuss expectations and keep an open line of communication with your supervisor. Do you assume your position is on the line unless you are constantly working, yet receive stellar performance reviews every year? Maybe no one is holding you to that impossible standard but yourself. Find a way to do good, honest work with integrity while also acknowledging that you’re an asset to your company and deserve respect, compensation and boundaries. 
   TRY THIS: It’s OK to only work the hours you’re paid to work and to discuss overload with your boss if you’re unable to complete your workload during work hours. It’s OK to ask for more specific feedback in a performance review.  It’s OK to stop checking your email and answering calls after hours. If your job can be done from home and the office is a distracting environment, it’s OK to ask for a work-from-home day. Your supervisor cannot read your mind, and if you don’t tell them, no one knows you’re working 65 hours a week, but only getting paid for 40. Even if you’re the youngest person on staff, you are valuable to your company, and you deserve to be heard and respected. If nonstop hustle and burnout is part of your company’s culture, evaluate if that’s the company or industry you want to work for long term.
   
   
4. If you struggle with feeling like an imposter in relationships, try focusing on one friend at a time instead of trying to juggle a huge group of friends.
   Check out my essay on friendship for more on this.
   
   
5. Find a deeper way to define your identity than your bank account, what other people think of you, your children or your professional success. For me, this has always been my faith. That may not be yours, but whether it’s faith or some other higher calling that transcends a Pinterest-perfect birthday party for your 1-year-old or that big promotion at work, FIND IT. Find your purpose and your “why” and center your life around THAT instead of fleeting, fragile things that can disappear in an instant. Enjoy those things while you have them (it really is OK to have fun and ENJOY your daily life!), but hold those things with open hands instead of clenched fists. Anchoring yourself in something bigger than your little world will put so many things into perspective. At the end of the day, it’s just not as much about us as we think. The pressure is off. Really. 
   
   Relax. Enjoy. Laugh. 
   
   

So, friends, what suggestions do you have? What has been your experience with imposter syndrome? Please share! Just hit the “reply” button and your email will come directly to me. I can’t wait to learn from you.

Love, Jill 

I have no idea if elderberry syrup is legit, but there sure is a lot of buzz about it, there have been a few small studies showing it decreases the length of cold/flu viruses and a medical professional told me I should be taking it... so I made some. Because mama is cheap and I didn't want to pay $14 for a pint of the stuff. So far, so good—I was around a bunch of sick people this weekend and I'm feeling great. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Here's the recipe I used (I made some tweaks like using whole cloves because I had them, and I added some Thieves essential oil at the end). 

If you don't want to make your own, I have extra and would love to mail you some. I canned it, so it doesn't need to be refrigerated until it's opened. 

Let's play a game... here's how you can enter to win a jar of elderberry syrup:

• Forward this email to a friend (CC me on it or email me telling me you did)
• Share the email on Facebook or Twitter (see top or bottom of email for share links- tag me in your post if we're friends or email me and tell me you did it)
• Screenshot something you liked from the email and post on your Instagram stories (tag me at @jillclairgentry)

This isn't the best photo, but I promise this is my favorite meal right now! It's a one sheet pan dinner and my whole family can't get enough! 

Miso-glazed chicken with mushrooms

Courtesy of Milk Street Magazine 

Start-to-finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active) 

1/2 cup mirin

6 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Ground black pepper

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and patted dry 

1 pound button mushrooms, quartered

1 bunch scallions, whites cut into 2-inch lengths and greens cut into 1 inch lengths (reserve the two separately) 

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar 

Heat oven to 450 F with rack in the middle. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk together mirin, miso, soy sauce, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Cut 2 parallel slashes on the skin side of each chicken thigh, slicing through the skin down to the bone. Add the chicken to the miso mixture and turn to coat, rubbing it into the slashes. Place the chicken skin side up on the baking sheet. 

Add the mushrooms and scallion whites to the now-empty bowl and toss to coat. Add to the baking sheet, scattering around the chicken. 

Roast until chicken and mushrooms are well browned and the thickest part of the chicken reaches 175F, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, top with vegetables. 

Pour the pan juices into a bowl and add vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with the sauce. 

Just go on ahead and judge me now. DO IT. I give you full permission. Because this looks and sounds disgusting. I was NOT a believer when Scott first showed me this article from J. Kenji López-Alt, one of our culinary heroes. 

In the article, López-Alt lays out the case for spreading mayonnaise (YES, MAYONNAISE) on meat before cooking it to enhance browning and flavor. I was already a believer in using mayo to make grilled cheese instead of butter (it is seriously far superior... try it), but spreading mayonnaise on meat? This seemed horrific. 

But.......... we tried it on pork chops. And it's awesome. Read the article and give it a try. You won't be sorry. 😋

This seems so simple. It is so simple. But it's changing my life, y'all. I shared last week how I struggle with executive function (being able to start and see tasks to completion without feeling overwhelmed). Not working a typical job has exaggerated the issue, as I go through each day with very little structure or accountability.

For whatever reason, paper planners do not work for me. I've tried them and I feel like I waste my money every time. However, recently Google Calendar and my Notes App are getting it done!

I was first inspired to use my Notes app's checklist feature (see the circle with a check inside it? That's how you do the checklist bullets!) for daily to-do lists by these women I follow on Instagram, Rachel Cross and Erika Flock. They're just moms doing their thing in a very un-influencer way (their emphasis seems to be real-life motherhood with some minimalism thrown in), and I love them. 

They both post their to-do lists a lot, and I started noticing they broke down tasks into very, very small chunks, so I decided to try it. Instead of "clean kitchen" being one bullet, I now do "unload dishwasher, load dishwasher and wipe counters" as three separate tasks. This helps me feel like these tasks are smaller and more manageable (and I get to mark off three things instead of one)! 

Now, in addition to playing a fun game with myself all day, I can look at my list at the end of the day and be able to say "Hey, today wasn't a bust. I got some things done," even if I didn't complete everything. As you can see, I wasn't feeling the commentary reading I had on my list yesterday. Moved it to today's list... no worries. 😊