8 Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome So That Your Career and Business Can Flourish

Have you ever felt a sense of unworthiness about your achievements? As if despite your success, you feel that you don’t deserve it or that you’re “pretending to be something that you’re not?”.

“Imposter syndrome” is a common phenomenon, especially amongst entrepreneurs and small business owners. It even plagued some of the world’s most intelligent and inspiring minds like Albert Einstein and the indomitable Maya Angelou. They, too, shared the feeling of not being good enough.

We want to help you understand that recognising “imposter syndrome” is one of the first steps to overcoming it. Once you can learn to accept your success and goals achieved and understand that you are not an imposter, you can start to see a positive change in your business.

Defining imposter syndrome and its symptoms

Imposter syndrome also goes by the name “imposter phenomenon.” According to statistics, more than 70% of the world suffers from imposter syndrome and it can ruin great careers and business opportunities.

Before being able to identify the symptoms, it’s important to understand that these “imposter” feelings are not always related to depression or anxiety and it isn’t a disease as such. Instead, it’s more of a mindset relating to how you see yourself and your success.

Most times people experience the following:

• Self-doubt

Someone having feelings of imposter syndrome would often doubt their own abilities, especially in business. You might find that when you have a successful run or land a new client, you tell yourself that you “just got lucky”.

To be successful in business, you have to believe in your ability to solve problems, help your customers and grow your profits.

If you constantly second-guess yourself or doubt that you can succeed, then you might need help overcoming these limiting beliefs.

• Forever concerned that you won’t meet expectations

Your sense of self-doubt spills over into the notion that you feel you won’t meet the crucial standards you wish to uphold in your business.

You might feel that you’re not qualified or that you lack experience (even when you have all this checked and are good to go). Your mind tells you a different version of the story.

• You need to keep proving yourself

Even though others see your amazing success, you always feel that you need to push yourself harder than your peers. In your mind, it seems as if because you’re “not worth it” you feel that you need to prove it to yourself and the world.

• Self-sabotage

Self-sabotage is another thing people with imposter syndrome struggle to cope with. Procrastination and self-sabotage are all reactions to fear. Fear of not being good enough, qualified enough or capable enough. In this way, people deny themselves opportunities.

• Afraid to earn more

It might seem impossible for an entrepreneur to be afraid to earn more, but imposter syndrome affects your money mindset as well.

If you’re already suffering from a “self-sabotaging” mindset, you can probably relate to this point. You might be terrified to raise your prices, or too scared to insist on a 50% up-front deposit for work. You might not feel that you (or your products/services) are worth charging more for, and your business will suffer as a result.

So while you insist you want to increase profits, your scarcity mindset is challenging this notion all the time, and guess who wins?

Everyone has to make a living and the prices of goods increase all the time. This is part of normal business procedures. Still, it may not feel this way for you when you’re feeling like an imposter.

When you’re feeling like an “imposter” you’d rather work harder and earn less because you feel that your talents don’t warrant more income. This is another form of self-sabotage.

8 ways to overcome imposter syndrome

There are various ways you can overcome these feelings and develop empowering thought patterns for your life and your business.

If you struggle with imposter syndrome, it’s time to take your power back and take control of your business using these tips.

 1. Be honest about your level of expertise/experience

Before you do the practical and mindset work to overcome your imposter syndrome, you need to take a long hard look at your abilities. Maybe you are feeling like you’re not good enough… because you’re not good enough.

It’s entirely possible that your feelings of self-doubt and anxiety are because you are underqualified or under-experienced.

In today’s #abundant #beyourself life, we all think that by simply believing we’re good at something automatically means we are. But we’re not! I can believe I’m an Olympic-level swimmer but that won’t improve my freestyle.

Is it possible that your feelings of being an imposter are because you genuinely need to improve your abilities in order to produce high-quality work?

For example, if you’re not an experienced copywriter, but you want to be one, then you might feel awkward when you put “experienced copywriter” in your Instagram Bio. That’s not imposter syndrome! Yes, you need to strive to be the expert you want to be, but you can’t claim it if you haven’t earned it. While it’s okay not to be the best in the world at something, it’s unhelpful to fool yourself and unethical to try to fool your clients.

There’s nothing wrong with working pro-bono or as an intern to gain the necessary skills. And if you need to do further studying to brush up on your expertise, then do it.

You absolutely should start where you’re at, but you can’t “fake” your way to excellence. Only time, experience and education can help you become the exceptional business person you want to be.

Remember, you can’t Google “healthy eating” and then call yourself a nutritional therapist.

You can’t make R1000 online, and then claim to be able to help people make R100K online.

Imposter syndrome is real, but inexperience and ineptitude are also real. You need to determine which one you struggle with and tackle it proactively.

That being said, if you are suitably qualified and experienced in your field, and you still feel like a fraud or an imposter, then you truly do have imposter syndrome and the rest of our tips will help.

 2. Stop comparing yourself

The best tip we can give you to help you overcome your imposter syndrome is to stop comparing yourself to others. Easier said than done, but you will be so happy once you do so. Even if you are an excellent biokineticist, or plumber, or marketing expert, you will feel crushed when you see what your peers are getting up to.

Comparison is the thief of joy, remember? If it means that you have to unfollow a bunch of people in your field to create some mental space in your life, then do it.

3. Go back to your successful moments

Find evidence of past success.

It’s important to note that entrepreneurs are always on the hunt for the next success, the next project or client. They rarely savour previous “wins” and that’s why they might not realise how far they’ve come.

To help you overcome imposter syndrome, take note of all your previous successes and play them over in your mind when you feel doubt start to creep in.

4. Not all the “rules” are correct

Part of what puts people in a deeper grapple with feeling like an imposter is because they have certain beliefs. These could include that no mistakes are allowed and that they need to know the answer to everything.

But these rules are not realistic.

Reset your thinking and understand that it is okay:

• Not to know the answer to everything
• To turn down low offers
• To give yourself a well-deserved break
• That it’s not necessary to compare your business with that of others

5. Can you see your success?

Sometimes when “trapped” in a cycle of imposter syndrome, it’s easy to forget that the future has so much to offer. When juggling life and work at the same time, you could miss seeing the future with a clear mind. This is especially because everything is moving at a rapid pace.

Instead, visualise your success and make notes about it. Use this as your vision board and something you’ll anchor yourself to. With time, you’ll start realising that you can succeed even in the future.

6. Give yourself a pat on the back

While a pat on the back may be misconstrued as vain practice, see it as self-reward. When you acknowledge yourself for your hard work, subconsciously it boosts your thought pattern to go from self-doubt, to great job.

You don’t have to wait for others to tell you how amazing you are, and when they do, you must resist the urge to shoot it off as “not true.”

7. New affirmations

Imposter phenomenon is often about self-doubting the fact that you’re amazing. You could easily find yourself thinking negatively such as, “who am I kidding? They’re going to drop me as soon as they find out I don’t know all this work.”

**Turn it around**

Say “everyone struggles in the beginning, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t or are not deserving of this high paying position.”

8. C’est la vie!

Such is life… as the French would say and the same goes with certain careers and business undertakings.

For example, a woman breaking into a male-dominated industry such as motorsports or gaming could easily feel like an imposter. But sometimes it takes time for society to adapt and thus it could take time for her to accept that she plays an important role here.

You’re not an imposter; you deserve to have a place in this industry too. Embrace it because you’re worth it!

The Takeaway on overcoming Imposter Syndrome

To stop the vicious cycle of feeling and thinking like an imposter is to stop believing that you are one. Just like everyone else has earned their success, you too have earned and truly deserve your success.

Celebrate your achievements instead of analysing or looking for reasons why it should be someone else and not you. Hone your accomplishments and let every win be proof of your abilities. Love what you do and love who you are, because you are worthy of success.

 

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