Podcast | Mindset
Episode 45| September 14, 2024

How to Overcome Self-Doubt w/ Claudia McDivitt

For Years, She Told Herself She Was Dumb

School never came easy to Claudia McDivitt. She studied for hours while friends glanced at their notes and aced the test.

So she told herself a story. I am dumb. I will never amount to anything. I will never be smart enough to have a job I love.

She laughed it off for years, until she noticed how often she said it.

Then she became a mom, and realized her kids were listening.

In this episode of the Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast, health and mindset coach Claudia McDivitt shares how she rewired years of self-doubt, why the story you tell yourself becomes your family’s inheritance, and the simple shift from I have to to I get to.

A hard subject in school does not make you less smart, or your story less significant.

If your inner voice has been unkind, this conversation is a gentle place to start again.

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“Struggling in one subject does not make your story any less significant.”

– Claudia McDivitt

Fast Skim & Timestamps

0:00 Meet Claudia: Mindset Coach for Women
1:39 Her Superpower: I Have To Becomes I Get To
2:54 Growing Up in a Broken Home
3:44 The Story That She Was Dumb
4:37 The Deeper Dive That Changed Everything
6:12 What Finally Helped Her Shift
7:46 Action Goals vs Result Goals
9:42 Where to Find Claudia

Key Takeaways

Your mindset is not fixed. Like a muscle, it changes with small, repeated practice.
The story you repeat about yourself becomes the one you believe.
Struggling in one subject does not make you less smart or your story less significant.
Becoming a parent can be the wake-up call. Your kids inherit the voice you use on yourself.
Awareness, good input, and honest community are how the shift actually happens.
Pair a result goal with an action goal. Without the action, the outcome never arrives.

Three Petite Practice® Questions

1. What old story about myself have I been repeating without questioning it?

2. What voice am I modeling for the people who watch me most?

3. What is one action goal I could pair with the change I say I want?

Transcript Chapters

0:00 Meet Claudia: Mindset Coach for Women

[00:00:00] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Welcome back to the Happy Healthy Hustle. I am here with a special guest, Claudia McDivitt. [00:00:18] Claudia McDivitt: Thank you, I am so excited to be here. My name is Claudia, I live north of Atlanta with my two kids, eight and six, and I have been married for twelve years. I am a health and mindset coach for women. I love to dive into the mindset piece of our health journeys, overcoming negative thoughts about ourselves and transforming our mindset so we can walk confidently in the women we were created to be. [00:01:00] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I often call it a mind shift, because we think of a set as stagnant, but the mind is fluid. We can weave in little positive habits.

1:39 Her Superpower: I Have To Becomes I Get To

[00:01:39] Claudia McDivitt: My superpower is helping women transform their mindset around health and wellness. I love to empower women to build confidence through sustainable changes and simple habits that align with their values. It is not only the physical change. It is shifting from I have to do this, to I get to, and viewing our health as a gift rather than a burden. Once we make those shifts, we can give our families the best version of ourselves.

2:54 Growing Up in a Broken Home

[00:02:54] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: If you struggled with it yourself, how did you arrive here? What was your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it? [00:03:05] Claudia McDivitt: I grew up in a very broken home. I could not recognize it then, but as I got older I saw patterns in my mindset, and at the time I would brush them off.

3:44 The Story That She Was Dumb

[00:03:44] Claudia McDivitt: School did not come easy to me. I would study for hours for a thirty-minute quiz while friends glanced at their notes and made A’s. So I would say things like, I am dumb, I am never going to amount to anything, I am never going to have a job I love because I am not smart enough. I used to laugh it off and let it roll off my shoulder.

4:37 The Deeper Dive That Changed Everything

[00:04:37] Claudia McDivitt: About five or six years ago I started to take a deeper dive into my mindset and the limiting beliefs I carried. I began to focus on the things I had overcome and the things I am gifted at. Just because school was hard does not mean I am not smart, or that my story is any less significant. There will always be hard times and obstacles. What matters is what we choose to do with them. [00:05:40] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I always say we choose opportunities. Nobody chooses challenges, but a challenge can form and transform you.

6:12 What Finally Helped Her Shift

[00:06:12] Claudia McDivitt: Part of it was self-awareness, realizing how negatively I viewed myself. As I had kids, the last thing I wanted was for them to see a mom who was not confident, because I had seen how that played out in my own family. So I dove into podcasts and books, and I let people in. That accountability, the safe place of dear friends who have known me for fifteen years, where I could finally take ownership of what I was feeling instead of pushing it aside.

7:46 Action Goals vs Result Goals

[00:07:46] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: That thinking keeps going, and you do not realize the impact, because you feel inferior and compare yourself to others. Then you take a stance and decide to act. There is a difference between an action goal and a result goal. A result goal is the outcome, I am going to be more positive. An action goal is how you get there, weaving in moments to read or listen to something joyful, or leaving yourself a sticky note. Without the action, you never see the result. You took ownership, and that is the first action.

9:42 Where to Find Claudia

[00:09:42] Claudia McDivitt: You can connect with me at claudiamcdivitt.com, on Instagram at claudiamcdivitt, and through my podcast, Boldly Living Your Everyday. [00:09:59] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Thank you so much, Claudia, for being here today. Listeners, check out the episode on action versus result goals, and let me know what you could take action on today.

Meet My Guest

Claudia McDivitt

Health & Mindset Coach

Claudia McDivitt is a health and mindset coach for women, based north of Atlanta. She helps women build confidence through simple, sustainable habits and a growth mindset, shifting from I have to to I get to.

She hosts the Boldly Living Your Everyday podcast. Connect with her at claudiamcdivitt.com or on Instagram @claudiamcdivitt.

Meet Your Host

Dr. Christiane Schroeter

TEDx Speaker & Leadership Strategist

I’m Dr. Christiane Schroeter, TEDx speaker, leadership strategist, and host of the Top 1% ranked Happy Healthy Hustle Podcast. I help leaders think clearly, speak with conviction, and take the next step during change.

About Dr. Christiane

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