Imposter syndrome. We’ve all experienced it. We view it as a sign of weakness. We’re afraid to admit we have imposter syndrome. We definitely don’t like to talk about it. Here’s a major reason imposter syndrome can seem so difficult to deal with: the more you care about your goal and the more committed you are to reaching it, the more at risk you are of suffering from imposter syndrome. But take heart. In April’s experience, the fear that comes from thinking about doing something big is always much worse than the fear that comes from actually doing it. Here’s more good news: There are three really simple steps that will help you stop feeling imposter syndrome and confidently take on the challenge that means so much to you. In episode 8 of The Winning Mindset Mastery Podcast, April tells you what these three steps are. Tune in to find out more.
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Listen to the podcast here
How April Overcomes Imposter Syndrome And How You Can Too
I don’t care who you are, how successful you’ve been, or how many other people think you’ve had so many successes, you could never get nervous. I think if you’re human and you’re honest, you’ve experienced Imposter syndrome. We all have. I don’t think everyone is comfortable being vulnerable about it, but everyone has experienced it at some point or another. The good news is there are three simple steps that will help you step out of feeling Imposter syndrome and step into whatever this challenge is that means so much to you. the first one is acknowledging that you really care. A person who doesn’t care about doing an amazing job doesn’t experience Imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome: A person who doesn’t care about doing an amazing job doesn’t experience imposter syndrome.
Whether you’re taking on a new huge role in your company, you’re a new entrepreneur, or you’re taking on parenthood, you are doing something that means the world to you and worrying about whether or not you can show up the way you want to is a sign of how much it means to you. That same sign, the fact that you care also says you will learn whatever you need to. You will rise to the occasion and do whatever you’ve got to do to make yourself successful in this role. Hopefully, that’s giving you a little bit of peace of mind.
Imposter Syndrome: Worrying about whether or not you can show up the way you want to is actually just a sign of how much something means to you.
Here’s another one. If you got a promotion or a client hired you to do some big project or task or someone else said, “Let’s have a child,” regardless of what the situation is, someone else sees what is so special and capable about you. They probably see it more easily than you do because we are often unaware of what our true genius is. Our genius is something that is easy for us. It’s something that we often take for granted because it’s so easy for us. We assume it’s easy for everyone else. Also, some of the most genius things you say, you say in that same internal voice that reprimands you for forgetting to take out the garbage or eating more than you meant to at a holiday dinner. Keep in mind, if there is someone else who sees this greatness within you, you can borrow their confidence.
Imposter Syndrome: If there is someone else who sees this greatness within you, you can borrow their confidence.
Maybe you don’t feel like you’re there yet, but borrow the confidence that they have in you. Number three, whenever I have experienced Imposter syndrome and I have listened to other people that I admire and feel like I can learn from, let’s say that they’ve experienced it, it has been on the precipice of doing something that is next level for them, reaching beyond where they’ve been before, outside of their comfort zone in a good way. I started to see experiencing Imposter syndrome as a sign that you are about to do something really amazing. If that’s the case, then why is it a bad thing? I am about to uplevel. I am about to do this next great thing that I’m going to look back on and think, “That was amazing.” It’s okay if you’re scared or afraid but know two things.
1) You are afraid and your fear is a sign that this is something big for you. 2) Fear at any moment in time is always bigger in the thinking of it than it is in the experiencing of it. For me personally, I have had fear before I jumped out of an airplane at 18,000 feet. I’ve had fear before I went on stage to speak to tens of thousands of people and before I went into a war zone and got shot at. I also experienced those three things. The fear of doing them was so much worse than actually experiencing it. It was almost laughable because the fear that you feel in anticipation is always so much bigger than the actual experience of it.
Imposter syndrome is nothing more than really caring and not quite seeing how great you are, even though others can. It’s a sign that you're about to do something really big. Share on XI would encourage you to take a deep breath. Know that you are ready for this, and if you aren’t, you’re going to be any minute now and step into it because Imposter syndrome is nothing more than caring. It’s not quite seeing how great you are even though others can. It’s a sign that you’re about to do something really big. Here’s to your success.
