Taking Stock: 5 Tips To Overcome The Impostor Syndrome!

Howdy! 😀 Have you ever felt like you aren’t good enough for the job, home or relationship you’ve got? Well, you are not alone… On today’s Taking Stock Post we’re bravely facing this giant called the ‘Impostor Syndrome‘ and exploring the ways to overcome it.

So get yourself a hot cup of something and let’s dig in, shall we?

What is the Impostor Syndrome?

According to Psychologists, the Impostor Syndrome reflects a belief that you are inadequate or incompetent, despite evidence that indicates you are skilled and successful. It makes you question your talents and abilities, while believing that others are ‘better-suited’ or ‘more deserving’.

It leads you to feeling like a fraud. Hence you end up living with the fear of being ‘found out’ and that at any time, everything will come tumbling down like a house of cards.

If you’ve experienced such feelings, then it might be a case of the Impostor Syndrome. It is normal and happens even to the best of us.

I have personally experienced these feelings, so I am writing this blog post for me, just as much as it is for you… 🙂

5 Ways to Overcome the Impostor Syndrome.

Unfortunately, the Impostor Syndrome can stop us from living up to our highest potential… So how do we overcome it?

Identity is Paramount: Know Who You Are

To overcome the impostor syndrome, it is important to know who and whose you are.

Think for a moment: where does your identity come from? Is it in your profession or how good you are at your job? Is it in what people say/think about you?

While growing up, you hear countless opinions about yourself from others. Also, there are more boxes to tick you get older: age, gender, race, marital status, profession, financial status…e.t.c!

For a long time, I grappled with this question of my identity. This past year, I have come to learn that my identity is not determined by the boxes I tick in.

For me, my identity comes from God (my Creator) and my relationship with Him… It’s the same way an Apple phone can never become a Samsung phone & vice versa. Its identity is rooted in the creator.

My identity as a Child of God doesn’t change. Similarly, my worth doesn’t increase or decrease based on performance, or even my own/others’ opinions. 

The question of identity and knowing who you are, is a personal undertaking. When you know who you are, everything else becomes a bonus! 😀

Take Stock of Your Abilities

The impostor syndrome renders us powerless, because we then doubt what we CAN do. We end up feeling stuck when we fail to distinguish between our abilities and potential blind-spots/areas for improvement.

Take time to think through and write down your talents and abilities. You might be familiar with the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis.

This will help you identify what you can do/are good at. Thus, when those feelings of inadequacy come up, you can bravely replace them with thoughts of truth.

Empower Yourself

I love this bit because it requires of us to be honest with ourselves… It means being willing to look at the areas in which we do need to improve and take the necessary action.

Come up with an action plan to empower yourself. For instance, if you feel inadequate at your job, do you need to learn some new skills? Or perhaps you need to take a course/training, ask for practical help?

When you take active steps to empower yourself, your confidence level increases.

Power Through: Don’t Quit

The impostor syndrome has stolen many a dream from us… But it’s time to grab our dreams back!

As a Writer and Creative, I can attest to battling such feelings on many an occasion. For instance, I remember feeling like I wasn’t good enough to write this post, because I am not an ‘authority’ on this topic.

Still, I chose to power through, read up on it and give it my best shot. Because hopefully someone on the other side of the screen needs to know: you are not alone.

So whatever it is, choose to feed the still small voice that says ‘you can’, and do the thing that needs doing! 🙂

Water Your Own Garden

Whoever said that comparison is the thief of all joy had a clue. At the heart of the Impostor Syndrome is the habit of comparing ourselves with others.

But that’s like comparing apples and oranges, isn’t it? After all, you are a unique individual with your own special set of abilities, gifts and talents. Everyone’s journey is different.

So focus on watering your own garden. Focus on your goals and actively doing the work.

This doesn’t mean living on an island or isolating yourself either… Celebrate others when they succeed. Learn from their experiences. Offer and ask for help where needed. 🙂

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The journey to overcoming the Impostor Syndrome is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take time, and that voice of doubt will likely come up now and then…

But as you actively work on it, you’ll be able to show up and show out in the way that only you can. And the world will be better for it. 🙂

Tip: Check out this post on: 7 Ways to Nurture your Mental Health

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Thank you for reading! I hope you found this post useful. 🙂 I would love to hear from you… Feel free to leave a comment down below with your inputs and/or questions.

See you on the next one! 😀

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