My thoughts on imposter syndrome
Welcome back to the blog! Today I wanted to touch on imposter syndrome…
This is something I have struggled with in business and with my work, especially in the earlier years. Self-doubt and second-guessing your worthiness of doing/receiving a certain thing is not a fun place to be. However, over time, my perspective on this has shifted and evolved, so let’s talk about it.
By definition, Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern of self-doubt where individuals, despite evidence of their accomplishments, feel like frauds and fear being "found out". It involves a persistent belief that one's successes are due to luck or external factors rather than one's own abilities, leading to anxiety, self-sabotage, and burnout.
So how do you get rid of this feeling so you can move forward?
You don’t. You have to consciously choose to move with your imposter syndrome hand in hand. To feel that self-doubt and move anyway.
The irony is that the only way this feeling dissipates is through action and through proving to yourself that you can do it, over and over again, until what was initially a scary place is now your new comfort zone. And then you’ll reach another edge and have to start the process over again *yay*.
But moving with imposter syndrome is easier said than done because if your entire body is telling you you’re not good enough, skilled enough, competent enough, it can be really hard to find the courage to still head towards this thing anyway.
Say imposter syndrome arises when you hit the edge of your comfort zone - often, where you are most uncomfortable is where the biggest growth opportunity is. If you are feeling stuck on something, often looking directly at what you might be shying away from or what feels uncomfortable is actually where the movement is.
So then what if your imposter syndrome could actually become a catalyst? An indicator that you’re actually on the right track. What if next time you feel this imposter syndrome, you could use it as a fire to move toward that thing stronger, try harder and move quicker, as it’s a sign you're close to something big.
I hope this makes sense and you enjoyed reading my take on this!
Rooting for you and would love to hear if this resonates with you or if you have any thoughts on imposter syndrome.
Hope you found this helpful!
Steph
