3 Strategies to Cope with the Impostor Syndrome
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2. DESCRIBE AND WRITE DOWN THE FEAR
That complete quote is one of my favorites. Sometimes we don’t allow ourselves to shine, simply because it scares the wahoo out of us! Somebody might actually see how Brilliant we are! WE might actually see how Brilliant we work! Sometimes that thought scares us because we think we’ll leave others behind, or we think we’ll become rich and become a jerk, or we think we won’t be able to relate to our friends anymore or any other of those old stories we carry. If you thought you could step into all of your Amazing self and STILL be the same, likeable person, would that change anything for you? If this resonates with you take some time to write down on a piece of paper what that fear looks like for you.
If you ever hold yourself back from acknowledging your Brilliance, what is the thought/belief/feeling behind it? Go beyond the surface, get deep! At a workshop I had a woman share how she was just on the brink of turning down a promotion in another state that she was actually very excited about. After exploring her decision through our conversation, she realized that she was ready to turn it down because she thought it meant she would be leaving her dad behind. While he would physically be in another state, the feeling was more about “I’m succeeding and he is not [with this move].”
When she reframed that conversation for herself, she discovered how the move would actually be a positive for both her and her dad. Instead of leaving him behind, through financial gain and resources, the move would have created greater opportunities for her dad that she grew excited about. What internal conversations can you begin reframing for yourself?
3. MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR FEAR
As you continue to step into new levels and opportunities in your business, the fear won’t necessarily go away- it comes with the territory of growth and expansion. Often times when the Imposter moments surface it’s simply your body protecting you from the new and unknown. Learn to recognize what those moments look, feel, and sound like for you. For some, those moments will decrease and perhaps even go away with time. For many, though, those moments will re-surface every time you step into a higher level.
Your best defense is to be able to recognize your pattern, which then allows you to acknowledge your pattern in the midst of it, which ultimately lends to a smoother ride through it. One of my clients went so far as to draw her voice. When she drew the voice she realized that her voice wasn’t this big, ugly scary monster she would envision. Her voice was a sweet, cute girl who simply had her safety and best interest in mind. Draw your voice. Explore what he or she looks like. You might just be surprised at how sweet it looks!
In my next post of this 8-part series “Self-Awareness for the Emerging Entrepreneur,” I talk about using Mindful Breathing as a Tool for Success. Until then, Stay Limitless!
Article series:
Identifying Patterns in Self Talk- 3 Scenarios
4 Tips to Achieve Positive Habits
