Ways to Work & Live with Imposter Syndrome
When Your Sense of Sufficiency & Wholeness is Challenged
It requires bravery to envision, start and get a business up and running. It requires bravery to begin a new endeavor like start a new role, or engage on a different life path. There are some days when the path forward feels clear and exciting. And then there are all the other days…
In this article, I’m exploring What Is Imposter Syndrome so that you are able to be with your experiences of insufficiency or inadequacy as they arise. Living and working with self doubt (which shows up for all of us at some point and in some form) requires compassion, curiosity and courage to learn new ways to relate to the bumps on the road. So, how do we “get ahead of it” or “through it” and leave Imposter Syndrome behind so we can do our best work?
Let’s start with a definition, what is Imposter Syndrome? Imposter Syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Imposter Syndrome doesn’t discriminate, in fact it’s especially common amongst high achievers who may have a challenge internalizing their achievements, particularly women.
Imposter Syndrome can also include beliefs around failure and what is expected of you or by you. Equally it can involve beliefs about “success” and if you deserve it and/or what it might truly look like to have it.
Personally, I have dealt with (and often still deal with) facets of Imposter Syndrome as have many of my clients. What I know to be true is that, the more you become aware of your own experience the more able you are to move through it and recognize it when partial truths / outdated beliefs are at hand.
Here are ways to be with Imposter Syndrome.
Can you tune in to which of these feels meaningful or helpful to you?
Know what “Imposter Syndrome” means to you.
Some of the experience of “Imposter Syndrome” will feel true for you, some of it won’t. Release yourself from the grip of the label and become curious about your unique experience. This helps take pressure off the rest of your experience and keep you whole.
Know your “hot spots’’.
What in your work or life experience feels really challenging? Does Imposter Syndrome show up when you’re with clients? Or is it most vivid when you are asking for the sale? Is content creation painful? Deepen awareness of your struggle so you can move out of a belief of insufficiency towards skillfulness in those areas.
All the compassion.
Outdated beliefs are sticky. Even while we can “see” ourselves having an experience of Imposter Syndrome and notice it’s not fully true, we may still experience the pain of it, as if it were true. Compassion can support us in the conscious work we need to do to release outmoded ways of believing.
Define success.
Feelings of inadequacy arise when we see others living their “best” life (which often isn’t the full view). This partial view can be especially triggering. Some value money, others emphasize freedom, another will hail free time as most important. All definitions of success are valid. Be clear on what success means to you to help you avoid the pitfalls of comparison.
Have daily progress markers.
You are working toward a big goal in the future. It is kind to have ways of appreciating what you’re doing today in order to value the small steps that get you there. You need to register task completion to reduce feelings of inadequacy.
Is passionate service enough?
Many of my clients are in business to serve. They are passionate about the work they do and know in their hearts it makes a difference. Expert status is a meaningless concept because they’re gently aware their work of service and learning is never done. Can you relax into your own reasons for serving?
The Boredom-Challenge Continuum.
My father always told me any job that could be learned in a year would eventually bore me and would cease to be a challenge. This sage advice can go the distance as we remind ourselves we’re never done learning, and likely we don’t want to. This continuum can also help us reframe ideas like failure and being the expert. How can you embrace the challenge?
Hold your business outside yourself.
As we business build it’s easy to blur the line between Self and Business. We work “in ‘’ our business so much (and not enough “on” our business) that we start to feel like the business itself. Can you hold your business more lightly, practicing looking At It rather than Being It? Feelings of inadequacy loom larger when we struggle to feel the separation between our work and ourselves.
Hold a larger vision of yourself.
In the day to day of business building we’re immediately aware of all the gaps. But you also hold a lifetime of experience that will serve you in this present day. How can you give yourself more credit for the experience and background that you have? It may not all help you in this moment, but your story isn’t just this one moment. See more of you who you are!
It takes bravery to lead. It takes courage to be present with our challenges. I honor your way on this journey that you’re on and would love to hear what resonates for you, and/or what your experience of “imposter syndrome” has been like!
