The Power of Pause
Challenging Limiting Beliefs to Unlock Your Career Potential
I don’t belong here.
Have you ever found yourself saying words like this?
For academics on the tenure track, cycles of stress, self-doubt, and negative self-beliefs can feel all too familiar. I know—I’ve been there. The relentless pressures to publish, teach, serve, and secure external validation often reinforce limiting narratives:
I’m not good enough. I’ll never meet the expectations. They don’t value me.
These beliefs, though painful, can paradoxically feel stabilizing. They offer a sense of predictability, grounding us in the familiar routines of struggle and overwork.
In other words, they become a crutch we rely upon, even as they hold us back.
But here’s the good news: neuroscience and psychology provide powerful insights into why these patterns persist—and, more importantly, how they can be disrupted.
As we enter the final month of this year, it’s the perfect time for reflection and preparation, both personally and professionally. This is a chance to recalibrate, get our minds right, and lay the groundwork for a fresh start in January.
Thriving—not merely surviving—on the tenure track requires more than grit; it demands that we challenge limiting beliefs, anchor ourselves in the present moment, and take intentional steps toward reshaping our mindsets.
This month on The Tenure Track, that’s exactly what we’ll explore. Today, let’s start with an essential first step: understanding the dangers of limiting beliefs.
The Comfort of the Known
Suffering often becomes intertwined with an academic’s sense of identity.
For many, it feels like a badge of honor—a marker of seriousness or unwavering commitment to their field. Internalized beliefs like the best scholars suffer for their work can make relentless overwork seem not just necessary but virtuous, even as it leads to burnout.
This mindset primes academics to see setbacks—such as a rejected manuscript or a harsh student evaluation—not as isolated events but as proof of their inadequacy.
The narrative becomes:
I have not yet made it.
Or.
This always happens to me.
Neuroscience offers valuable insights into this dynamic. Through the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself—we understand how frequently activated neural pathways, such as those tied to recurring thoughts like I’m not productive enough, strengthen over time. This “use it or lose it” principle helps explain why patterns of negative thinking can become so deeply ingrained.
As these thought patterns solidify, they create a self-reinforcing feedback loop: academic challenges are not only expected but, on a subconscious level, sought after. The brain learns to associate success with struggle and suffering, making moments of peace, ease, or even genuine accomplishment feel unnatural—or unearned.
Over time, this can distort an academic’s understanding of what it means to be successful. Achievement becomes tied to sacrifice, fostering a belief that real success must always come at the expense of well-being.
This perspective can lead some to reject moments of validation or joy, perceiving them as undeserved. Instead of interpreting praise as recognition of growth, or success that seemingly comes easily as recognition of alignment, they might think:
This isn’t real—they’re just being polite.
This won’t last.
It’s only a matter of time.
Yet, neuroplasticity also brings hope.
By challenging entrenched beliefs and deliberately adopting new ones, academics can activate different neural pathways, gradually reshaping their approach to work and success. Research using functional MRI (fMRI) has shown that practicing alternative thought patterns—like reframing rejection as a chance to grow—leads to measurable changes in brain activity and structure over time.
In other words, suffering doesn’t have to define the academic experience.
Change is possible.
Pause and Reflect
The first step in breaking free from limiting beliefs is to pause.
Academic life often feels like a relentless cascade of deadlines, meetings, and competing priorities, leaving little room for self-reflection. Yet, in moments of stress—whether it’s receiving critical feedback from a peer reviewer or struggling to balance research and teaching—pausing is crucial.
When faced with a setback, take a moment to identify the source of your reaction. Neuroscience highlights the role of the amygdala, the brain’s emotional processing center, in triggering automatic responses. When the amygdala is activated, it can override the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational decision-making and self-regulation.
This is why criticism—whether from colleagues, students, or reviewers—can feel so overwhelming.
Pausing creates an opportunity for the prefrontal cortex to regain control, allowing you to reflect on the situation more objectively. It helps separate the intense emotions of the moment from the truth of who you are and the potential your future holds.
For instance, if a journal rejects your article with harsh feedback, pause and ask yourself:
· What specifically is upsetting me?
· Is it the tone of the reviewer’s comments?
· The feeling that my work isn’t valued?
· The fear of falling behind my peers?
By identifying these triggers, you can begin to separate the event itself (the rejection) from the belief it evokes (such as I’m not good enough).
This clarity is the first step toward reframing your response and challenging the limiting beliefs that hold you back.
If this resonates with you, you’re not alone.
The journey to rewrite limiting beliefs and reclaim a healthier academic mindset is challenging, but it’s one we can navigate together.
In The Tenure Track, we explore how to break free from these patterns and create a career grounded in growth, resilience, and purpose.
Ready to transform your path? Subscribe for actionable tips, support, and insights to thrive in both your career and life.
Noticing and Labeling Beliefs
Once you’ve paused, the next step is to examine the belief that has surfaced.
For academics, common limiting beliefs might sound like:
I’ll never publish in a top journal.
I’m not as smart as my colleagues.
I’m failing as a mentor.
I do not really belong here.
Recognizing these thoughts as interpretations—not objective truths—is critical. Instead of accepting them as facts, try labeling the belief without judgment. For example, you might say, This is my usual fear about publishing.
This practice creates space between the belief and your sense of identity, making it easier to challenge and reframe.
This approach aligns with a neuroscience-backed technique known as cognitive reappraisal, which involves reinterpreting the meaning of a situation. Research shows that reappraisal reduces activity in the amygdala, easing emotional distress, and increases activity in the prefrontal cortex, supporting rational thinking and self-regulation.
In other words, examining and labeling your beliefs can transform them from barriers into opportunities for growth.
It’s not about denying the challenges you face—they exist and it is healthy to be aware of them—but about reshaping how you perceive and respond to them.
You regain control by doing so.
Challenging and Reframing the Belief
The next step is to challenge the belief.
For example, if your belief is I’ll never publish enough to earn tenure, pause and ask yourself:
Is this objectively true?
The tenure track is undoubtedly challenging, but publishing is not a static measure of worth; it is a skill that develops over time. Acknowledging this activates the prefrontal cortex, enabling you to critically assess the evidence for and against the belief.
Ground yourself in the present by asking:
What is actually happening right now?
What aspects of this situation are within my control?
What have I accomplished already that challenges this belief?
This reflection lays the groundwork for reframing the belief, which is where transformation begins.
For instance, if your limiting belief is I’m not productive enough, reframe it as: I’m making steady progress on multiple projects, even if it doesn’t always feel linear. This shift not only changes your mindset but also starts to rewire your brain.
Hebb’s Rule—”neurons that fire together, wire together”—explains how this works. By focusing on new, empowering beliefs and reinforcing them through action, you strengthen the neural connections associated with those thoughts, making them feel more natural over time.
Put simply, challenging and reframing limiting beliefs trains your brain to embrace a more compassionate, growth-oriented perspective, helping you move forward with confidence.
Making a New Decision
To solidify a new belief, action is essential.
Taking deliberate steps that contradict the old narrative reinforces the new one. For example:
If you believe I’m not a good mentor, schedule a one-on-one meeting with a student to provide thoughtful guidance.
If you believe I’ll never secure grant funding, draft an outline for a new proposal, focusing on what excites you about the project.
These actions are not just symbolic—they align with research showing that self-affirmation activates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which strengthens positive self-beliefs.
After taking action, look for evidence that supports your new narrative. For instance:
Old Belief: I’m not making an impact in my field.
New Decision: I will submit a conference proposal to share my research.
Evidence to Support It:
Colleagues have expressed interest in my ideas.
My last presentation received positive feedback.
I’ve identified how my work fills a gap in the literature.
By aligning your actions with your new belief, you actively strengthen the neural pathways that support this perspective, while the old narrative begins to lose its grip.
In other words, when faced with events that might previously have triggered feelings of inadequacy or suffering, you start to remember your future—your goals and potential—more often than you dwell on your past limitations or failures.
Building a New Narrative
Changing deeply ingrained beliefs takes time and consistent effort.
For academics, mindfulness practices can be particularly effective in fostering this change. Activities like journaling about small wins, meditating to clear mental clutter, engaging in reflective writing, or practicing prayer or other spiritual rituals can help reinforce positive shifts.
Research supports these practices, showing that mindfulness increases gray matter in brain regions like the hippocampus, which is critical for learning and memory. It also reduces activity in the default mode network (DMN), the area of the brain associated with rumination and self-doubt.
Through regular practice—pausing, reflecting, challenging old beliefs, and reframing them—your brain and behavior will begin to align with your new narrative.
The limiting beliefs that once felt like insurmountable barriers will gradually lose their hold, replaced by a mindset centered on growth, resilience, and possibility.
In essence, changing your mind—step by step—will begin to change your life.
For Academics Navigating the Tenure Track
The tenure track often feels like an endless test of worth, but it doesn’t have to define you.
The challenges—whether in publishing, teaching, or service—are not proof of inadequacy; they are opportunities to reshape your approach. By integrating insights from neuroscience and psychology with intentional practices like meditation or gratitude journaling, you can transform how you navigate academia.
This isn’t about erasing setbacks.
To be sure, we’re all imperfectly human, figuring out life day by day.
It’s about crafting a narrative that highlights your strengths, values, and potential. By aligning your intentions with your vision for the future—and, as we’ve discussed in past newsletters, your deeper sense of purpose as a scholar and educator—you create a foundation for meaningful growth.
The journey to tenure, like the journey to personal growth, is a process of becoming. And if you are on the journey of becoming, you are enough.
You have the tools to rewrite your story, step by step, in a way that honors your unique contributions to your field and yourself.
If you’ve made it this far in the year, it means you’ve already overcome tremendous odds and achieved meaningful progress. Even better, you have exciting opportunities ahead in the coming weeks and months.
Keep pushing forward—you’ve got this!
Becoming Full,
P.S. If this newsletter resonated with you, please share it with colleagues who might benefit from a fresh perspective on academic life. And if you’ve found innovative ways to overcome limiting beliefs, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.