🧠Weekly MindSweep No. 171 | Manage Your Mind | Confidence
April 2025
Week 169: Curated Conversation: Confidence
Week 170: Mind Your Business: Confidence
*Week 171: Manage Your Mind: Confidence
Week 172: What’s On My Mind: Confidence
Let’s sweep the brain…
🎬 Rather watch or listen instead of read? Now you can!
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In the MindSweep this week:
Curated Conversation with curated GIF’s & puns (for your entertainment).
Jamie’s Second Brain Corner: Links to references. Need a map? I’ve got you!
What’s I’m Reading - Kate Hollis does it again…
Collaborations with Terri Hamilton (Thursday) & Shannon Giordano and the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce
My face đź’ś and a link to schedule your free consultation.
Confidence isn’t loud. It’s quiet and sweaty–like slowly backing an awkward rental car into a tight space between a concrete post and a $100K vintage baby blue Jaguar.
I also took a wrong turn, entered the wrong tower of the building, and ended up on the wrong floor. I wasn’t lost-lost, but I definitely wasn’t confident either.
It turns out that the way I navigated an unfamiliar building mirrors how confidence works in our brains–especially when we’re neurodivergent and stepping into something new.
This trip taught me more about how confidence builds than any self-help book I’ve read.
Let’s sweep the brain…
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👉 Click here to Listen
I was in a new place, and nothing made sense yet. Where to park, how to find my unit, which entrance to use—every step was a small puzzle. And while this sounds like a mild inconvenience, in that moment, it felt like a metaphor for every uncertain moment I’ve faced in business.
Because sometimes?
Confidence doesn’t look like standing tall or knowing what you’re doing.
Sometimes, it looks like squeezing into a too-tight parking space and wandering around a building for 20 minutes trying to find your temporary home, hoping you’re not about to set off an alarm by opening the wrong door.
Getting Lost Is Part of the Process
My first night at Casa Costa felt like wandering a maze without a map.
I had to figure out how to navigate the building, and the layout made no sense at first. My unit was 315N, so intuitively, I was looking for the North Tower. But the door nearest me in the garage said South Entrance. Inside, the floor numbers didn’t line up. Frustrated, I retraced my steps all the way back to the original lobby, where I picked up my keys.
Only then did I find clearer signage—and a clearer path.
By night two, things started to shift. I remembered which turn took me to the garage floor where the gate was for unit parking, where to pause on level 5 to angle into my spot, and which entrance took me up to my unit. By night five? I had it down. Not only did I feel confident–I had even discovered a more efficient route.
This week, I didn’t just learn the layout of a new building.
I relearned how confidence builds.
Let’s dig into what was happening in my brain!
What felt like chaos at first was actually my brain doing exactly what it’s wired to do in unfamiliar situations.
In the early stages of learning something new, your prefrontal cortex works hard to process and plan. It tries to make sense of your environment and weigh your options. At the same time, the amygdala, which handles fear and uncertainty, may be sounding the alarm: “This feels risky! What if you mess it up?”
That tension between curiosity and caution is completely normal—especially if you’re neurodivergent. Your brain might be more sensitive to uncertainty, sensory overload, or internal doubt. The good news?
Repetition rewires your brain.
With every successful attempt—like finding the right elevator or launching a new product, service, or marketing strategy—your brain builds stronger pathways.
Neuroplasticity helps turn disorientation into ease.
By night five, I wasn’t just finding my way—I was optimizing it. I had learned the rhythm of the space, understood where I went wrong before, and adjusted accordingly.
This is how we build confidence in life and business:
Trial and Error: First tries are messy and confusing. That’s not a flaw—it’s part of the map-making.
Familiarity Reduces Friction: Repetition trains your brain to feel safe and capable.
Optimization Becomes Possible: Once you're no longer overwhelmed, you can streamline and personalize your approach.
If you’ve ever felt disoriented navigating business decisions, visibility, or execution—you’re not alone.
That moment you hesitate to share your newest idea…
That awkward feeling after sending your first newsletter…
That inner critic that shows up every time you ask a client to collaborate…
Those are your night one moments. The good news? Night five is coming.
Every time you take action—no matter how small—you reinforce neural pathways that say, “I can do this.” And those pathways get stronger with each repetition.
Confidence Grows With You
Here’s how to support your brain as it builds confidence:
Start Small: One post, one email, one pitch. That’s enough to begin mapping the path.
Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge every success—your brain thrives on reward.
Refine, Don’t Retreat: Use feedback to adjust your route, not question your ability.
Honor Your Process: Your wiring is unique. Build systems and timelines that work for your brain, not against it.
Confidence Is a Journey, Not a Trait
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build by showing up, getting lost, and figuring it out anyway.
Next time you feel unsure, remember the last time you traveled to a new space and felt unsure and disoriented, and how quickly that feeling turned into confidence once you gave yourself time and grace to learn.
You’ll get there.
And when you do, you’ll not only know the way—you’ll find a shortcut!
My questions for you this week :
How does your brain usually respond to unfamiliar situations—do you lean into curiosity, or does your inner critic get louder?
What’s one area in your work or life where you’re starting to feel more confident—and what helped you get there?
Reply and share with me!
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Jamie’s Second Brain Corner:
[X] Did someone say MindSweep MAP?! Learn more about my Personalized MindSweep Mapping Process
MONDAY: 8 am - Curated Conversation - Zoom
Changing the world, one Monday Morning at a time. Learn more + Sign Up for a Monday morning reminder!
What I’m reading
Shy Creatures
Author: Clare Chambers
My friends, Kate Hollis does it again.
Kate is a dear friend, a brilliant librarianist, and a phenomenal writer. When she comes across a book she knows will speak directly to my soul, she lands it—every single time.
Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers moved me deeply—especially the way William, the main character, thinks and experiences the world. His quiet, internal landscape felt achingly familiar, and the tenderness with which the world slowly met him, supported him, and made space for his uniqueness left a lasting imprint on me.
Find it where you browse for books.
Collaborations!
Join us Friday, May 9th, at the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce for this two-hour interactive business community experience.
We'll discuss ways to cultivate business through Sales, Marketing, and Communication methods that support relationship building, showing up authentically, and connecting deeper with colleagues and the people you serve.
9-11 am - Open discussion, community support, brainstorming ideas
Join me in meeting business owners in our community. You'll leave with new tools to help you make connections and build your business!
Free; Registration is required: REGISTRATION.
Mindful Connections
Connecting like-hearted entrepreneurs to build relationships, offering support, understanding their passions, and sharing their names in rooms of opportunity.
Join us Thursdays, 12-1 pm EST.
12:00 - Take 5—a guided meditation with Terri Hamilton of Positively Terri to ground your week with peace and focus.
12:05-1 pm Round-table Share
Who you are
The gifts you bring to the world
Who you serve
The answer to a Curated question to spark conversation.
If you found this on the web, sign up to join us!
In other news…
Feeling #FOMO about Curated Conversations? Join us!
