Written by: Maya Zack, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you ever felt like a fraud, despite your accomplishments, knowledge or qualifications? Do you worry that you're going to be exposed as a someone who isn’t skilled, knowledgeable or good enough?
If you've ever felt that way, welcome to the club. Most successful entrepreneurs have feelings that they don't measure up one point or another. In fact, these are some common secret thoughts of successful women.
So know that imposter syndrome is real, you're not alone in experiencing that nagging imposter feeling that you don't deserve your success, that you're just fooling everyone around you and that maybe you reached where you are because you got lucky or have connections. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 5 beliefs driving those thoughts & feelings of self-doubt and how to overcome imposter syndrome with new, empowering beliefs.
1. ‘I’m or it’s not good enough (therefore, I don’t deserve)’
Imposter syndrome is often about having too high standards for ourselves and can be tied with perfectionism. Of course, we want to provide high quality service, but it’s just not realistic to do something perfectly (especially if we’re only starting out).
While aiming for excellence can be a powerful driver for progress, thinking you're not good enough, aiming for perfection and comparison to others only leads to overthinking, self-criticism, and even anxiety.
We can only improve if we allow imperfection to be there. Only in imperfection is there space for growth. Since perfection is unattainable. So, we can either accept this truth and feel free of the pressure, or we can resist it and get stuck in an ongoing inner conflict.
The trick is to aim for improvement, but to practice self-acceptance at the same time. Focus on progress. Appreciate your achievements, no matter how small, as well as how far you’ve already come.
Allowing yourself to simply be where you’re at means you’ll have more available energy to direct towards doing better. So, reframe this and believe in yourself that: ‘It’s good enough for now and I enjoy the process of constant improvement.’
2. ‘I should already know everything (and since I don’t, I don’t deserve)’
This is thoughts telling us ‘I’m not ready’ or feeling like we need to have all the answers. The ‘next shiny object syndrome’ is also tied in, where we feel like we need to sign up to all the trainings, watch all the webinars, get all the certificates and read all the books before we can finally put ourselves out there and serve. We spend so much time on accumulating information rather than experience.
But remember that knowledge is useless without action. No one has ever become an expert without experience and without going through the stage of not being an expert first.
So, you’re exactly where you need to be now in order to become an expert later.
Secondly, remember that you don’t need to know everything, only more than what your clients know. They don’t have any of your skills or knowledge, that’s why they’re looking for help. You know enough to do the job and are entirely capable of providing that help. What’s missing is not more information or training but the courage to put yourself out there and get started. Believe in yourself that ‘I know I’m capable of incredible things by taking action, learning & growing.’
3. ‘I shouldn’t have to make such an effort, it should come naturally to me (therefore, I don’t deserve)’
We often see all these big successes online, and they look or sound like reaching their level is so easy and effortless. This is what we compare ourselves to and it can make you feel like you don't belong in that club.
But the truth is, no one got there without hard work. You don’t see all the effort, the struggles, the failures that happen behind the scenes. All you get to see is the shining moments.
Secondly, know that it’s not about our level of born-with talent. Of course, we want to have some skills, but being a genius is not required to be successful.
Most entrepreneurs who are high achievers and highly successful have gotten to where they’re at not because they are exceptionally gifted, they attribute their success to having a consistent, persistent, positive and resilient attitude.
They've often felt the same way you do, but they continue showing up with passion, they keep learning, practicing and developing their skills over time.
So, to overcome imposter syndrome, believe in yourself that:
‘I’ve got talent and skills and I can improve and excel through more practice.’
4. ‘I need to do prove myself by always going way and beyond’.
This is when we constantly push ourselves to work harder, over-working, over-achieving or people pleasing in order to prove ourselves.
This belief can be in the way of setting healthy boundaries or of saying ‘no’ when that’s what we’d authentically want to say. We might be over-delivering to clients giving them extra content, extra time or extra discount. All these might not be aligned with what we want to do, but we feel like we need to give the extra in order to get approval, we don't feel like what we already do is enough.
So let go of wanting to prove yourself, and focus instead on achieving the best results for your clients. Believe in yourself that ‘I’m here because I’m good at what I do, I got lots to offer, and that’s all I need to focus on.’
5. ‘I should be able to do it all on my own without asking for help’
This is when we feel uncomfortable asking for help because we see it as a sign of weakness and it makes us question our competence.
But if you’re a solopreneur, you know that running a business is not just the actual service or product we provide. It’s creating content, doing the marketing, the sales calls, the business planning, keeping the books… all the while also keeping our mindset in check! That’s a lot.
Truth is, almost all successful people delegate tasks when and where they can. They also have mentors and coaches who help them get to where they are and through challenging times. Whether it’s business or mindset coaching, those who have successful businesses know the value in getting support. They know it makes them more rather than less powerful.
So, believe in yourself that:
‘Getting support is a strength because it allows me to excel and get results faster and easier.’
Conclusion
In conclusion, to overcome imposter syndrome we need to reframe limiting beliefs around ‘I don’t deserve’ and ‘I need to prove myself’ and fears of failure.
Know that what you're going through and what you're feeling is perfectly normal. And that feeling like you're a fraud doesn't make you a fraud. It's important to remember that beliefs are beliefs, not facts.
And you don't have to feel this way.
When we remove beliefs that don’t serve us and take charge of our self-talk, not only does our experience become a whole lot easier, but we're also be able to achieve things that previously felt impossible.
Own your power, potential and possibilities. Wherever you’re at – you deserve to be here.
You're actually exactly where you should be on your growth journey. You deserve to take up space. And you deserve the opportunity to grow into that space.
You can learn to think like successful entrepreneurs, that too is a skill. Not sure how to remove persistent limiting beliefs in your way?
Join me on the 21st of March for a live Give your Limiting Beliefs the Boot training where I’ll be showing you a practical, simple and fast process to do just that, help you let go of negative self-talk and clear the way for your success while feeling easier, lighter and freer.
You can also download my free business mindset guide for women entrepreneurs right here.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Maya!
Maya Zack, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Maya Zack is an award-winning personal development, peak-performance and mindset coach. She holds a master’s degree in clinical hypnosis and is one of the only Sedona Method™ facilitators in the UK.
Maya works with women business owners all over the world, and has been featured in a number of international publications.
She helps entrepreneurs free themselves from past baggage and mental & emotional habits that prevent them from experiencing more success or that slow it down. She removes psychological blocks to taking bold action and getting the clarity, confidence and focus they need to follow their strategy with resilience, courage and powerful self-belief while improving their wellbeing.
She has developed her unique, signature step-by-step mindset makeover programs that change thinking & feeling patterns on the deepest, subconscious level, reprogramming their minds for success so that new habits & behaviours quickly become automatic and effortless.
