Solve Imposter Syndrome by Treating Your Mind Like a Mysterious Crime

Be a meddling kid to spoil your plans.

We all feel like imposters at times.

Even the most successful and beloved people feel like they don’t belong. It’s a part of being human.

I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome for most of my life. I’ve felt like a fraud, failure, and just recently, have learned to accept myself.

Here’s how I regained a healthy self-image. By treating my mind like an unsolved crime.

Your mind always has a motive

Everyone wants to do well and be happy. But just as things start moving in the right direction, you panic. Why?

The usual suspects are:

• Fear — of failing
• Guilt — for succeeding
• Unworthiness — poor self-image

Any mindset that stops us from realizing our true potential is a crime. And if left unchecked, imposter syndrome will turn into self-sabotage.

A serious offender.

When you’re on the right path, you might look for excuses to swerve off course. Although this may feel like mysterious behaviour, it’s rooted in biology.

When we panic, it’s not because we fear failure or success – but rather change.

Charles Duhigg, in the book Power of Habit, talks about fear of change. We naturally resist change because in the past it meant risking death.

Habits kept us alive. Knowing what areas to avoid or streams to drink from protected us from being killed off by predators or disease.

We’re wired to stay safe – inside our habitual comfort zones. But as we all know, growth doesn’t come from being comfortable.

Self-sabotage is a misguided vigilante

Just like the villain in an episode of Scooby-Doo, self-sabotage comes around just when things are going well.

The small quaint town of “Your Life” is booming economically when strange things start happening. Your judgement becomes cloudy and you start second-guessing yourself.

You might even start making mistakes despite your better judgement.

We all hope, pray, and work hard to achieve our goals. But as soon as we sense change, we panic. Trauma has a part to play in this, but the answer is often much simpler.

We sabotage not to cause failure – but to prepare for it.

We are wired to love goals —but not necessarily achieving them.

Our brains release dopamine when approaching goals. But shortly after achieving them, we experience a crash.

Over time, we’ve learned to predict these crashes and will unconsciously swerve to avoid them. Our inner saboteurs mean well – but their behaviour is misguided.

Well-intending vigilantes doing the work of villains.

Be wary of red herrings — like laziness

If the past few years have taught me anything, it’s how little I need to be happy.

And how fast happiness dissolves without a challenge.

When we were first forced into lockdown, I felt energized. I had more time to write, learn, and exercise. But as time went on, I found myself becoming lazy.

A dangerous form of self-sabotage.

I’d have days where I’d think,

“Why am I so tired? I literally have nothing to do today.”

Therein lies the problem — and solution.

There’s a great article by Andrew Moore on how it’s actually more exhausting to be lazy than it is to be disciplined.

It all clicked when this happened…

While driving to a naturopathic appointment (to address my fatigue), I noticed that I wasn’t actually listening to the podcast I had on.

(The same podcast I always listened to).

So, I decided to try something new. I took a chance and stepped outside my comfort zone, putting on something I had never listened to. Surprisingly, I became happier, more energetic, and inspired.

I had an epiphany.

I wasn’t tired from doing too much, I was tired from doing too little.

Our bodies will create as much or as little energy as they think we need.

Stop the crime before it’s committed

Self-sabotage is sneaky.

It strikes when you least expect it. So, instead of cleaning up a nasty crime scene, put on your detective’s hat, and start looking for clues.

Emotional spikes:

I like to believe that all humans have a baseline of good.

So, look for behaviour that deviates from your baseline. For me, I can always tell something is wrong if I’m feeling the need to poke fun at others.

Look at yourself objectively:

This is nearly impossible. So, rely on those around you.

If you notice the world around you is reacting oddly, it’s probably time to look within.

Stick to the facts:

We often provide ourselves with alibis.

Although it’s important to be kind to yourself, you need to be accountable. Micro habits provide structure and give clear indications of pass/fail. Like James Clear talks about in the book “Atomic Habits”, habits must abide by 4 laws. They must be:

• Easy
• Obvious
• Attractive
• Satisfying

Ask yourself, “Did you journal today? Exercise? Are you taking care of your diet? If the answer is no, ask yourself why.

Prevent self-sabotage with these 5 steps

Feeling like an imposter is a part of being human. But, self-sabotage doesn’t have to become a habit. Here’s how you can prevent self-sabotage before it starts.

1. Emotional check-ins:

Nobody knows how you feel but you. So, bring yourself in for questioning, often.

Daily journaling is a beautiful practice that helps you address lingering feelings before they turn to self-sabotage.

Ask yourself the tough questions and be open to hearing even tougher answers. I use a method called The “Why” Dig to get to the root cause of any feeling.

2. Recognize patterns:

There are always warning signs that precede sabotaging behaviour.

Feeling bored, upset, defensive, or helpless, are all signs that you need to make an adjustment.

Recognize these early to continue heading in the right direction.

Remove the word “tough” from your vocabulary and listen to yourself. If you’re feeling cooped up at home, get out of the house. If your exercise routine feels mundane, try something different. And if your brain just won’t work, take a break.

What works for you is what works. Period.

3. Challenge yourself:

Sabotage is a form of revolt — it stems from not feeling challenged.

Just like a dog will chew up the couch if you leave it at home all day, you will begin making mistakes to give yourself something to overcome.

Challenge yourself by doing things that make you uncomfortable. If you’re feeling tired, bored, or uninspired, do something that challenges you. Learn something new or do the one thing you don’t want to at that moment.

If you feel frustrated at first, that’s a good sign. That means you’re breaking the mould.

4. Remove expectations:

Doing nothing can be more harmful than doing something, poorly.

If you’re feeling too tired to try something new, try it anyways. Your body will provide you with as much energy as it thinks you will need, so the mere act of trying is helpful.

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.

Write just for the sake of it, read a book, or try something… anything.

5. Know that you have control:

When life takes an unexpected turn remember that you are not helpless.

You have no control over what happens to you. But, you can always control your reactions.

If your mind is acting mysteriously, investigate it.

Finally, connect the dots

Life can feel like a crazy wall of unsolved mysteries. But, just know that feelings always have a motive — and they always make sense.

Feeling like an imposter is normal. But letting it stunt your growth, isn’t healthy. Remember:

• You are worthy
• You are deserving
• You’ll be ok — regardless of what happens

Stop self-sabotage before it starts. Get to the root cause of how you’re feeling by acting like a meddling kid.

If you enjoyed this story become a member for unlimited access. For free tools that make you more mindful, click here.