Do you suffer from ‘Imposter Syndrome’?
It’s not as uncommon as you’d think! It’s really important to firstly understand that you’re not the only one who thinks this… which is why I’m breaking the silence and shedding light on the topic.
What you need to do is separate your feelings from fact. At times, you’ll feel inadequate and sometimes you may even feel like you’re stupid – but you’re not! No-one knows absolutely everything! It’s all a learning process and this is how we grow as people and increase our knowledge and abilities.
Taking the time to recognise these feelings when they arise is important. Fostering these feelings is unhealthy and will set you back increasing your self-confidence. Being much older or younger can also contribute to lack of confidence as you might feel as though you don’t fit in.
In situations like the above, it’s important to cultivate positivity. Take steps to increase your quality of work by learning and perfecting your craft, no matter what it is – this will increase your self-esteem and make you feel more knowledgeable… which will counteract the feeling of being unworthy or being a phony.
Whilst focusing on sharpening your skillset, it’s important to remind yourself that mistakes are inevitable. That’s just life! But instead of beating yourself up for your mistakes and failures, take it onboard and learn from the experience – get back on the horse!
If you’re the type of person who thinks that you should always know the answer or to never ask for help, then this is type of mentality is just stupid! Recognise that you are human and it’s ok to ask for assistance when required.
Develop a new dialog with yourself. Become aware of how you’re talking to yourself internally, what triggers your feelings. Remember, everyone was once a beginner so tell yourself “Everyone feels off-balance in the beginning. I may not have all the answers but I’m capable and smart enough to figure it out”. Take the opportunity to learn from others.
Visualise your success. Take the time to picture yourself making successful business decisions. When you’ve made progress or had a win, acknowledge this and be sure to reward yourself.
Instead of just ‘winging it’, observe and learn what your high achievers do and view it as a skill.
Have the courage to take some risks and change your behaviour to build up your confidence.
Feel like an imposter no more!
Send me a message via our contact page or via social media if you’d like for me to reach out and have a chat on ways to build up your confidence.