overcoming imposter syndrome
Do you or have you suffered from imposter syndrome? If you answered yes, you’re not alone.
Imposter syndrome is so common in the workplace and in different professions. So much so that 70% of people have experienced it. And if you’re a high achiever, you’ve likely felt like an imposter or experienced imposter syndrome more than once (many times).
Even people like Jennifer Lopez (aka, JLo, Jenny from the block) and Maya Angelou have experienced it.
JLO said, “Even though I had sold 70 million albums, there I was feeling like I'm not good at this.”
And Maya Angelou, she said “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out.”
You’re experience of imposter syndrome is normal.
Next question — how do you overcome imposter syndrome? Is there a cure?
Yes, there is a cure for imposter syndrome! And the cure is to stay in your comfort zone!
But let’s be real, staying in your comfort zone is cozy, but it’s not fulfilling or fun— especially for high achievers which live with purpose and make the conscious decision to challenge their limits and step into their greatness. All the fun, the possibilities, they require you to stretch out of your comfort zone, into your discomfort zone, they challenge you to adapt and transcend, and soar into the end zone.
So, if you’re someone who loves to grow and evolve as a human, I have good news and bad news for you…
The good news ….you’re going to continue to become an unstoppable human.
The bad news…for every new level you rise up to, imposter syndrome will settle right in. But thats ok, because this blog is going to strap you with tips and tools which will help you overcome imposter syndrome.
But before we offer them up, what is imposter syndrome and why does it occur?
To start off, imposter syndrome is a form of self sabotage. It’s a thought or behavior which stops, slows you down, or prevents you from your intent or doing what you want to do. Imposter syndrome occurs as the bar rises, there is a feeling or a fear that you have further to fall. Crashing down is perceived as inevitable, and rather than being called out as a fake or imposter, you’d prefer to ride under the radar and meet the bare minimum and go unnoticed.
Now that we know what imposter syndrome is, why does does it occur?
The simple answer is the brain hates change.
When you’re in your comfort zone, you can probably do your job with the back of your hand, with your eyes closed, it’s so easy, you’re playing it safe. And safe means you’ll keep your job, you’ll keep your consistent paycheck, you’ll keep your house, and you’ll have food on the table.
But if you’re challenged to stretch and grow outside of your comfort zone, its a very uncomfortable process because you don’t have all the skills you need yet — failure is a possibility for you. To protect you from failing, the brain is anticipating the worst case scenario for you. And the worst case scenario looks like people are going to identify your gaps, call you out as a fraud, you’ll get fired, lose your job, lose your steady income, lose your apartment, end up on the streets and dig hot dogs out of the trash can. And this narrative, most of the time, we accept as true for ourselves. And when we do, we allow for this narrative to stop or slows us down from elevating to new heights.
So, how do we overcome imposter syndrome so we can continue to grow and evolve as humans, and level up our lives?
Well, today is your lucky day because I have 5 easy steps which will help you overcome imposter syndrome.
Let’s get into it!
Step 1 - Give fear a voice, not a vote
Your fears, doubts, and insecurities aren’t going away, and you don’t want them to either because they’re there to protect you.
Having said that, there will be times you should listen to your fears AND proceed with caution, but not always because fear misfires sometimes. And because fear misfires, you I recommend you acknowledge your fears, embrace your fears, assess your fears, then move on from your fears if they are not conducive to your goals.
Fear doesn’t have power over you. It only has power when you give it power.
Accept the fear and choose to not let it stop you. Render your fears powerless.
Step 2 - Relate to fear in a way that serves you
What if the successful people of the world were not smarter, more talented, thinner, or prettier than you? What if it wasn’t even about the amount of resources they had and it was more about their willingness to relate to fear in a way that served them and their goals? What if they saw fear as their ally rather than their enemy, and fear was their greatest gift? What if fear is what drove their standard of excellence? What if fear was the signal they needed to confirm they were walking in the right direction? If it wasn’t scary, then their goal wasn’t big enough? If they weren’t uncomfortable, then they weren’t fulfilled?
Relate to fear in a way that gets you to your goals, gets you to your excellence, gets you to your greatness!
Step 3: Visualize the possibilities
Visualize yourself more than capable of handling your goal, your new position, or whatever it is. Visualize yourself and other people appreciating your value. Simply with your presence, you are adding value to others, the organization. See yourself having everything you need to be successful.
You deserve whatever it is you’re going after.
Visualize yourself doing the job, doing the job with control, doing the job with confidence, and executing your responsibilities with excellence.
Step 4: Focus on what you want to experience
Energy flows where your attention goes. What you focus on impacts how you feel. If you focus on what’s not working, or where you feel inadequate, then you will feed doubt, and the only thing you will succeed at is affirming your doubts.
Self depreciation takes up a lot of energy, which is not what you want.
Instead, focus on what you know. Focus on what you’re good at. Focus on what’s working. Focus on the possibilities. Focus on what it is that you want to experience. Focus on what you want to learn. Focus on the things you can control. Focus on the fact that you are enough. Focus on your commitment to excellence.
Step 5: Let your WHY be bigger than your fears
What is your big WHY? Why did you take on the new challenge and accept a next level position, expand your scope of responsibilities, or become an entrepreneur?
For me and coaching, my why comes down to my beliefs.
I believe everyone has a truth and a purpose. I believe everyone is destined for greatness. I believe our desires are a compass to our purpose. I believe I was built with the intent to share this philosophy and help others unlock their their greatest gifts and pursue their passions with a clear, strong, and unshakable mind.
I also want to create a new family legacy — there are no entrepreneurs in my family.
For me, my whys are greater than me, greater than my fears, and greater than my insecurities. My whys, they are what drive me and keep me going.
Alright, so those are your five steps to overcoming Imposter Syndrome:
To recap
Give fear a voice not a vote
Relate to fear in a way that serves you
Visualize the possibilities
Focus on what you want to experience
Let your WHY be bigger than your fears
If you would like support and accountability in overcoming imposter syndrome and building confidence in your abilities, then I would love to gift you with a FREE coaching session.
Your FREE coaching session is a great opportunity to discover:
A powerful vision for yourself and what it will mean for you
Lifestyle habits or thought patterns which may be stopping or slowing you down from elevating to new heights
A step by step plan of action that has you steering your ship with confidence and control
By the end of our conversation, you will have gained clarity about what you want, the best path forward to achieve it, and you will walk away with at least one major aha about how to break out of your stress and take action from a place of passion, momentum, and truth.
Check our Services to learn more about our coaching offerings!
If you love podcasts, catch Episode #1, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, on Empowerhouse Life Coaching, the Podcast!