Introduction

You’re smart, you’re talented, and you deserve the best, yet you still feel like a fraud. Let’s break that down and learn how to overcome Imposter Syndrome together:

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon that many people experience. It refers to the fear of being exposed as a fraud (when you have accomplished something) or the feeling that you don’t deserve your success.

Imposter Syndrome is more common in women than men, but anyone can experience it at one point or another. It’s important to understand how this condition impacts your life, so you can better manage it when it arises and move forward confidently.

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

So, you feel like an imposter.

Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Impostor syndrome is a common feeling that affects many people, especially in the workplace and other high-pressure environments. It can have serious impacts on your mental health and self-esteem, but there are ways to overcome it so that you can continue doing your best work and feel confident in your abilities.

The first step to overcoming impostor syndrome is understanding what it is. Luckily, we’ve already checked that off. Sometimes, you may think that others see you as better at something than you see yourself or question whether your achievements are legitimate or based on luck rather than hard work. This kind of insecurity leads many people who experience impostor syndrome to avoid opportunities for advancement because they don’t believe they deserve them. It also can affect how well you perform at work—many people with impostorism fear getting exposed as incompetent once they start taking on more challenging tasks or projects, which can lead them to procrastinate instead of trying something new.

I want to make something very clear to you. No one knows what they’re doing and most of us feel like imposters. The best thing you can do is have confidence in your ability to figure things out on the fly and rely on your gut. If you decisions come from the heart there’s nothing fraudulent about that, but its should be noted there’s ahuge diffrence between confident and arrogant.

The Difference Between Arrogance and Confidence

Confidence and arrogance are two different things. Arrogance is defined as the belief that you’re better than other people, which leads to a lack of empathy for others. Confidence is being comfortable with who you are and what you have to offer, while also accepting your strengths and weaknesses.

A confident person will not brag about her accomplishments or downplay them—they simply accept that they’ve done something well, without having to justify themselves or make excuses for their actions. A confident person might say: “I was lucky,” rather than: “I deserved this because I’m so smart.” When it comes to negative feedback, an arrogant person will turn defensive and blame others for their failure rather than look inward at what they could have done differently; conversely, a confident person will consider their mistakes part of the learning process as opposed to evidence that they’re worthless. Remember to be confident, not arrogant. 

Understand You Are Good Enough

Overcoming imposter syndrome is to understand that you are not a fraud. You are good enough, and you have the ability to do great things. This is something that you may need to remind yourself of every day for awhile until it becomes true for you again—and eventually it will.

To combat this fear of being discovered as an impostor, I recommend trying out a new skill or activity in which there might be people who are better than you at it than you but where there’s still room for improvement: join a club or go on a completely new adventure. Spend time learning to trust yourself and your ability to grow in new enviorments. 

Track Your Progress

It is incredibly important to track your progress, because as people we tend to undermine our accomplishments. For example, people tend to only be happy when they get a raise, but ignore the several compliments given to them throughout the day leading up to the raise. I say that to say, every small achievement leads up to a bigger one so celebrate the small achievements as well. 

The best way to track your progress is to write your achievements down in a journal. Journaling may not be everyones cup of tea, but it’s hard to argue that it’s not benefical for looking back at your past. For those who need more convincing, journaling doesn’t have to be this big chore. All you have to do is carry a pocket sized journal with you and write down one line/ one achievement a day. That’s it. I promise you this will help you overcome imposter syndrome, because you have a written log that states you are deserving and worthy of your success.

Visualize Success

Visualization is a powerful tool, and it can also help you overcome imposter syndrome. If you’re not familiar with the technique, visualization involves imagining yourself accomplishing your goals in a positive way. For example, if you want to get an A on your next exam and believe that you have the ability to do so but are anxious about it anyway, visualize yourself studying for hours on end until the answers become second nature. You can also visualize yourself walking into class feeling confident and having all of the material at your fingertips when it comes time for the test.

Visualizing success before attempting something has been shown to improve performance outcomes by helping people feel more confident about their abilities and putting them in a more relaxed state of mind (which helps them focus). In fact, Beyonce uses this method everytime she’s about to go on stage. 

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

The next time you start to feel like an impostor, remember:

• You are not a fraud.
• You are doing enough of the things that matter to keep going progressing towatds your goals.
• Your journey is yours and no one else’s.

Comparison is the thief of happiness and ,as we live in the digital age, it’s easy to understand why comparisons are at an all time high. As long as you remeber not to compare your life to someone’s highlight reel you’ll be fine. 

Failure Is a Part of Life, Not a Reflection of You

It’s important to recognize that failure is a necessary part of life. Without failure, we would never learn anything new. You need to come to terms with the fact that failure is not personal. Failure doesn’t mean you’re not good enough or smart enough or talented enough; it just means you’re human! I’ve found that one of the best ways I can improve my performance in any area of life is by failing often and failing fast. The quicker I fail, the quicker I’ll learn what works and what doesn’t work (and then try something else).

Conclusion

Success is never guaranteed, but it’s possible. You can overcome imposter syndrome and the fear of failure to achieve your goals. It may be hard at times, but with the right approach, you can find success in your work and your life.