Productivity/Mental Health

3 Simple Mindset Shifts To Stop Imposter Syndrome In Its Tracks So You Can Keep Going In Spite Of Your Insecurity

We all get imposter syndrome, the trick is not to let it stop you.

Erin King is the author of How To Be Wise AF Guided Journal For Women: A 30-day guided workbook for empowerment, strength, and resilience through good old-fashioned common sense and optimism

We all get imposter syndrome and I’ve had quite a bit of it lately myself.

Anyone who tries to put themself “out there,” will probably get it at some point.

It surfaces when we:

• Reach beyond our comfort zone
• Try to share what we know with the world
• Try to start something that has the potential to be life-changing

I think doing any of those things can trigger it.

I also think it’s an idea that feels pretty sensible on the surface. After all, if you’re not a Ph.D. or a rocket scientist, what can you possibly have to offer?

But the fact is, most imposter syndrome probably comes from sources outside yourself rather than in.

Some sources of your imposter syndrome might be:

• A sibling who was jealous of your achievements growing up
• A society that subtly disenfranchises certain groups of people
• Parents who misguidedly tried to protect you by keeping you from having big goals
• A group of friends where you’ve always been the lovable loser
• A partner who feels threatened by your power and achievements

That is a list of a few possible sources of your doubt. If you give it some thought, you might be able to pinpoint the reason why you feel it’s unsafe to be powerful.

Because that’s what imposter syndrome does, it makes you doubt yourself to strip you of your power.

And that’s not fair because you are powerful — we all are. Or we all should be. Everyone has an interesting and valuable story to tell, and we all deserve to be heard.

Every single one of us has lived a life full of lessons and insights.

So why not use those insights to help others?

So if you have imposter syndrome that you just can’t shake, here are a couple of ways to get comfortable enough not to let it stop you.

Because you don’t have to completely overcome it to keep it from stopping you. Sometimes you can overcome something by moving your life ahead despite it.

At least, that’s what I’ve found.

This is how I keep my projects moving ahead despite imposter syndrome, and what you can do too:

• Realize that your knowledge is valuable no matter what. Nobody else has the same experience as you, so your perspective is unique. Somebody else might need your perspective to help them through a tough time or learn something to help them achieve their goals. Just because you don’t know that person, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
• Understand that only you can hold yourself back. Anybody can tell you you’re crap, stupid, or that your dream is futile, but only you can believe it. Only you can let other people’s opinions stop you. It’s possible that person is wrong or has an ulterior motive, so if you let someone else stop you, you’re actually holding yourself back.
• Have a playful attitude towards your project. Everything doesn’t have to be life or death. If you approach your project with a “what the hell, why not” attitude, then it doesn’t matter whether you succeed or fail. You’re doing it for the experience of enriching your life. So regardless of outside validation, just doing it validates and reinforces your worth, and that’s all that matters. Paradoxically, by taking the pressure off yourself, you’re probably more likely to succeed because you won’t give up when expectations arent’ met. You’ll be doing it for yourself, and that’s enough.

Once you realize that imposter syndrome doesn’t have to define you or impact what you’re doing, it’s easier to plug along even if it’s running in the background.

Because nobody can tell you you’re an imposter if you’re actually making things happen and putting your knowledge out into the world. If you do that, somebody will find it valuable and helpful, even if it’s just one person.

Here’s my story:

I wrote a book and put it on Amazon.

Since I’m not a marketing guru and had no marketing experience, I put it out, and there it sat.

I also put it on my Facebook feed, but I hadn’t done much more.

Then one day, I got a message:

“Hello Erin, I hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer.

I’m contacting you at long last for two reasons… with a surprise twist …

But first, let me refresh your memory: several years ago, you sold me your dollhouse which I had planned to transform. We became Facebook friends to stay in touch about dollhouse transformation updates.

And… cue the crickets…..

Alas, life happened, and all miniature work was shelved.

After the breakup of my marriage, then being sidelined by the pandemic, life was pretty challenging for a while. As luck would have it, I came across a little book that helped me get back on track. It was a book filled with good ol’ common sense, honesty, warmth, compassion, and humour. It felt like talking to a good friend or my sister, who now lives far away. Through the book’s sage advice, I picked up my pen to journal and re-discovered the magic of writing. Journaling led to gratitude and then to waking up again with the thrill of endless possibilities unfolding all around. How truly magical!

Maybe you have heard of the book before? It is called: How To Be Wise AF 😊

I am very grateful and wanted you to know your book had a profound impact on my life.

I absolutely loved the 5 easy things you can start right away to stop procrastinating. Those were the crucial bite-sized pieces that got me hooked. Going through the rest was really easy and something I looked forward to!

Your book felt like an outstretched hand offering to help me stand, then encouragement to take baby steps which eventually evolved into a joyful, confident stride.

Fast forward to now, and I have set up my workshop and supplies for miniature dollhouse renovations!!

I will be creating YouTube videos and a blog soon and will share the link once in place.

I would also like to re-visit that un-written book. That’s been swirling around in my head for decades.

This is all beyond exciting!!

I can’t thank you enough! ❤”

I was blown away!

I couldn’t believe it!

I’d helped somebody!!! Like genuinely helped somebody!!!

This message came at the perfect time because I was trying to decide whether to expand the project or abandon it altogether.

That message kept me going, and now I’m turning my book into a series and creating some courses as well.

My book isn’t a massive bestseller yet. But that’s okay. I enjoy working on it and am getting a kick out of seeing my dreams become a reality.

I’m releasing a second edition soon that’s rewritten and revamped, and I’m really proud of it. I’m also learning things like book marketing and course creation. I’m even getting a website together for my books and courses, something I thought I’d never do.

Sure, I’d like all of my projects to be wildly successful, but really I’m just enjoying the ride, seeing how far I can push myself to do and learn new things.

If I’d gotten caught up in my imposter syndrome, I’d never have taken it far enough to do the things I’ve done, and I’d never have helped change that one person’s life for the better.

So it’s okay to have imposter syndrome, and if you can figure out where it’s come from, you might be able to work your way through it on a deeper level. But if you don’t want to do that and there’s no constructive reason to go there, you can still move your life forward with that monkey on your back.

Just throw it in a backpack like a box of rocks and carry it. As you achieve your goals one at a time, you’ll remove the stones slowly but surely. And one day, they’ll suddenly be gone.

You’ll realize you’re not just someone faking it through life. You’re someone who’s achieved a whole lot and brought something very valuable to the party along the way!

Thanks so much for reading! I hope this helps you keep going with all your dreams and goals!

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