3 Ways to Deal with Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever felt like you don’t deserve some of the success you’ve experienced?
Do you hold back from going after opportunities because you don’t feel good enough or equipped?
Are you afraid that people are going to “find out” that you have no idea what you’re doing?
If you answered yes to any of those, you might be struggling with imposter syndrome and girl, let me be the first to tell you that you’re not the only one.
Did you know that 70% of people have an episode of imposter syndrome at least once in their lives? That means for every 100 people, 70 people have struggled with feeling like a fraud. Check out this article from Medical News Today to fact check me. Also P.S. like I always remind you - I am not a medical professional, I just Google a lot. If you’re seeking professional medical advice this is not the place to get it.
So what exactly is imposter syndrome? Dictionary.com says this:
“It’s a psychological pattern in which one deals with the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.”
So basically it causes people to doubt their achievements and fear that others will view or expose them as frauds. Alright so we know the problem: rude AF imposter syndrome. Now what can we do about it? These are 3 things to do when you are struggling with imposter syndrome:
1. Own it, lean into what makes you stand out, and know that growth is a process.
I think it’s really important to own things that we’re feeling instead of pretending they don’t exist and burying them. Things don’t just go away - we have to address them. Exploring why you feel like an imposter by asking yourself tough questions like:
Why do I feel like I don’t deserve this?
Why do I feel unworthy of this?
Why do I feel like I’m not capable of this?
allows you to figure out what is actually causing you to feel inadequate.
I was hardcore fighting imposter syndrome when I started doing Hustle Sanely full-time because I felt like people would look down on me for not using “real” design programs to create my products. You guys, that’s not what happened at all!
You know what really happened? People asked if I could teach them how I make my digital planning products because they don’t have graphic design backgrounds but have always wanted to make worksheets for their classrooms or planning pages that suit their family’s needs or e-books that get their expertise in their customer’s hands! Because I owned being a designer who uses non-traditional programs to make my products, people reached out asking if I could create a course teaching them how to do that too! I leveraged my skills as a beginner, not-formally trained designer to boost confidence and create a desire to learn in others.
Be proud of being where you’re at! Be confident in knowing that there isn’t a predetermined one-way map of how things should look or be accomplished. Everyone is on their own journey so it doesn’t matter what someone else’s journey looks like compared to yours. Lean into what makes you stand out and take solace in knowing that over time you’re going to learn, grow, evolve, and get better. Confidence is birthed out of taking risks. Stop laser focusing on what you don’t know how to do and tap into your strengths. Being willing to do something before you feel ready for is a skill not a setback - it’s called courage.And one last reminder here: You did not end up where you are by accident. The time, energy, and effort that you have put toward your accomplishments is what got you here. YOU BELONG.
2. Have your truth deck ready at all times.
Okay I am obsessed with this one! Maybe it’s because one of my love languages is words of affirmation but either way, let’s talk about what this looks like. When you’re in a spiraling moment of feeling inadequate and unworthy, it can be really tough to center yourself and take hold of your thoughts to redirect them. If you have your truth deck ready at all times, you can reach for it when you need it.
Some items in my truth deck:
I have a note in my phone with some of my favorite Bible verses that remind me of who I am in Christ. My faith is my foundation and I know that my confidence comes from Jesus. Anytime I feel inadequate this is the first place I go. I’ll share two verses from my list with you:
💛 Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
- Isaiah 41:10
💛 For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.
- Proverbs 3:26
Another thing that makes up my truth deck is a photo folder in my phone called “My Why.” Whenever I get an email, DM, podcast review, or a comment that fires me up I screenshot it and pop it right in that folder. If a friend texts me an encouraging prayer or solid words of advice I screenshot it and it goes in the folder. I’ve been doing this since 2012 and it’s really amazing to scroll through a folder filled with things that remind me who I am, Whose I am, and why I do the work that I do.
The last thing that makes up my truth deck is having 1-2 people on-call. These are people that no matter what, I can call or text them if I need some prayer or encouragement and they will come through. They are people that I trust. People that know my heart. People who want the best for me. When I call them, I always let them know that I’m calling because I need affirmation in that moment - not to have a problem solved. Let these people know that they are your hype squad when you’re battling imposter syndrome.
Real quick - trigger warning - I’m going to talk about drowning for a few seconds so fast forward a bit if that doesn’t sit well with you.
I view the things in our truth decks as a rescue buoy. They’re not going to necessarily solve your problem and save you but they’re going to help you get to shore. You have to grab hold of the buoy and use it as a tool to help get you unstuck. Same as your truth deck. It’s not going to necessarily solve your deep-rooted issue of lacking self-confidence but it is going to give you something to hang onto as you work toward solving the deeper issues going on.
Confidence is grown, not grabbed. You don’t get to snatch it up once and then have it forever. Being confident in yourself requires you to practice self-esteem boosting habits regularly. This is why I love my Hustle Sanely Journal because it prompts me every morning to recognize what I’m grateful for, how I’m feeling, a win from the previous day, and what’s on my heart. Journaling is a tool that I use to grow my confidence. Here’s the journal that I use every single morning:
3. Redirect your thought patterns.
Now we’ve talked about this probably 50 times on my podcast but our thoughts create our reality so if you’re constantly thinking thoughts like, “I’m not capable or I can’t do this or I shouldn't be allowed to be here.” then that’s how you're going to walk around living your life. You have to grab hold of those thoughts and refute them with truth. Prepare yourself as you enter into situations that you know might trigger imposter syndrome - like starting a new role at work or going back to grad school or taking on your first client as a business owner.
When you’re tempted to think things like, “I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t belong here.” put your fist down, take that thought and shift it to something like, “It’s normal to feel out of place when you start something new. I am willing to learn and grow to figure out what I don’t know how to do yet.” This is called having a growth mindset. I learned about fixed mindset vs. growth mindset when I worked at a school because it was part of a social skills curriculum that I taught my students as a speech-language pathology assistant.
Fixed mindset =
When people believe their qualities like skillset, intelligence, talent, and success are what they are and cannot be changed.
Growth mindset =
When people believe that their skillset, intelligence, talent, and success have the capacity to grow and improve with time, effort, and experience.
I’m reading a book right now called Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen and I’ve learned a lot about capturing our thoughts and redirecting them so if this is something you need more support in I would highly recommend checking out her book! Speaking of books, I want to wrap things up with one of my favorite quotes from page 95 of Marie Forleo’s book, Everything is Figuroutable:
“Everyone experiences this surge of self doubt when moving beyond their comfort zone. This is a hallmark of progress, not a signal to stop.”
Please know that if you struggle with imposter syndrome, you don’t have to go at it alone. Mental health professionals are trained to help you work through stuff like this. Therapy is such a valuable tool!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you tune into episode 028 of The Hustle Sanely Podcast:
