If you feel like an impostor then this article is for you because I share how to deal with impostor syndrome and how to overcome it.
Learning to deal with impostor syndrome should be separated from overcoming it due to the different personality traits and our own abilities to apply strategies and change our life.
“Why do I feel like an impostor?” you may be asking. It’s natural to feel this way. So many of us can talk a good game and look successful on the surface, even actually BEING a success in some way, yet be left feeling like an impostor.
It’s called Impostor Syndrome or also known as impostor phenomenon, and it’s rooted in what we see that lies under the surface. All the flaws that nobody but us knows about. Other people only see what we want to show them, and we’re left saying to ourselves, “HA! If you only knew the truth.”
How do you overcome impostor syndrome? You can get a brief, effective summary in this video, or keep reading:
So many of us have been here in one way or another. The wealthy businessman who looks like he has it all together, but he knows his relationships suck. A talented makeup artist who doesn’t think her face is so pretty underneath it all. These people hear the compliments, but they go in one ear and out the other!
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome: What is it, anyway?
Do you walk into your workplace everyday, wondering how you’ve managed to last this long? No matter how much your peers commend you, you feel like you’re terribly under-qualified to be there. That’s impostor syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is also putting on a disguise. It can be a mask that gives off the impression that all is well, and life is running smoothly. You’re continuing to rise to the top where you work. You’re likeable and make friends easily. Yet, beneath it all, “real life” is falling apart at the seams.
Have you ever woken up and felt like a fraud or that you’re afraid of being “found out”?
Do you live your life in fear that people will discover your “dirty little secret”?
In some ways, living life this way does have a few small benefits. Strange as that sounds, understand that it’s a good thing to be self-conscious about what lies beneath the mask. If you were arrogant, you may leave problems just as they are, believing everything is fine.
The biggest problem that causes impostor syndrome is a low self esteem. Often, we feel like we’re trying to achieve a perfection that we’re not reaching fast enough for what we want. We compare ourselves to others on the same journey and feel “less than” because they are further along.
I understand what it’s like to feel like an impostor… more than you think!
For a long time, standing in front of the camera was very difficult for me. I didn’t feel qualified to be there. I’m not a professionally trained public speaker. Beyond that, I would fall victim to negative self talk like, “I was homeless once, who would take ME seriously?”
I had to see that I WAS qualified, because I came out of that past self. I may not be exactly where I want to be just yet, but I overcame a lot to get here. Not only that, but I’ve educated myself tirelessly on everything that I discuss on my Youtube channel.
There were even times I felt like a total fraud while I was learning to become a realtor in my youth. Compared to everyone else, I was “just a kid”, and they could all see it. Not only did I have to prove myself to them, but I had to prove myself to ME, too. I was from the wrong side of the tracks. What belief SHOULD they have that a girl like me could do this?
You need to do the same thing. You MUST build up your self-esteem. When we compare ourselves to others, that pushes us down. You can’t spend your life judging yourself.
How do you stop judging yourself?
It’s important to take a closer look at the value that you’re putting out. Take a long, hard, objective look at the effort and energy you put into what you’re doing. We can worsen our own impostor syndrome when we don’t put out our very best work. You need to strive every day to say to yourself, “I can do better than that.”
Settling for ‘good enough’ is no way to become experienced enough to stop BEING more than good enough. You won’t be able to move out of impostor syndrome, either, because other people who are putting their heart into what they do will always be a step ahead of you.
Each of us dread hard work, because it looks like pain or discomfort to us. Truthfully, it’s all in the meaning that we’ve given it. You have to change that meaning. Learn to look at it like giving out value instead of working hard.
Even if you’re “just some guy in the service industry”, the value you can give out is a positive experience. That’s more than what a lot of people have had the pleasure of knowing!
Overcoming impostor syndrome comes from love and trust. It comes from doing your work from a place of love for who will benefit from it, and trust that you will always be getting better. It’s that simple!
What can you do to give more value in what you do? Will it take learning a little more about it? Is it as simple as doing it with a better attitude? Take a closer look!
Check out Dr. Marion Neubronner’s unique subconscious reprogramming box of tricks! Created by the founder of the behavioral coaching institute, it’s designed to help you overcome the challenge of a negative and limiting mindset.
