How to Let Go of Imposter Syndrome and Shine
Many start-up entrepreneurs face daily challenges to their self-confidence.
A frequent one is imposter syndrome (also known as imposter phenomenon or experience since it isn’t a mental disorder), generally defined as a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud.”
Who can relate?
It’s normal.
As an entrepreneur we wear multiple hats a day, frequently charting new territories. This can be both exciting and nerve racking.
One minute we are like “woohoo, I get to try something new…” And two seconds later we’re like “oh shit, I have to do something I’ve never done.”
Before we know it our survival brain starts to doubt our abilities, fear being exposed as a fraud or think we don’t deserve our success so far.
This can be debilitating and keep us small because it robs us of the ability to freely experiment and fail our way to success in a way that serves our mission, creating evidence for our original fears - a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Luckily for us, imposter phenomenon isn’t an affliction or a genetic predisposition. When we shine the light on it, we realize it’s just a collection of negative thoughts we have about ourselves and we can change that with awareness, self-love and practice.
If you secretly suffer from imposter phenomenon, I invite you to free yourself with these 8 steps:
Acknowledge Your Feelings: Don’t bury them. There is nothing wrong with you. You’re just being human. Be compassionate with yourself and face your feelings.
Get Embodied: Do something to get out of your head and into your body so you can better access your inner wisdom. You can do this through breathwork, exercise or an excursion in nature, etc. Know that the answer is within you, not outside of you.
Shine the Light on Your THOUGHTS: Bring awareness to the thoughts that are creating these feelings. Write them down. Be honest and vulnerable with yourself with a sense of compassion and curiosity. Where do they come from? Separate the facts from your thoughts and feelings.
Question Your Thoughts: Just because you and everyone around you might believe these thoughts doesn’t mean they are true. You get to decide what you want to believe.
Find the Gift or Opportunity: Practice looking for evidence to the contrary. If there is a failure, look for the learning opportunity in it. See the gift in it (or create it yourself).
Know That You Are 100% Worthy: Know that you are intrinsically perfect just as you are. Your self-worth comes from within, not from others. You were born 100% worthy and nothing you can do can change that.
Choose New Thoughts That Serve You: Intentionally choose thoughts that support you and the vision of yourself you want to embody and create in the world. Self-confidence comes from believing in yourself.
Visualize Yourself Successful: Envision yourself succeeding in your endeavors. if you can see yourself in that state of being you're more likely to achieve it.
As always, meet your thoughts with curiosity and compassion. And practice, practice, practice to create new thought patterns that serve your highest interests.
If you want a coach in your corner to help you out with this, reach out to me. I’d love to support you.
🦋 I have a couple one-on-one coaching spots available. If you'd like a coach in your corner to fiercely support you in achieving your goals, reach out to me. I'd love to be on your team. This is a great time to review your year and plan for 2022. Set up a call to explore what your heart is calling you to do in 2022.
#impostersyndrome #anxietysupport #trustyourself