When you understand the different faces of imposter syndrome, it becomes easier to identify which imposter is getting in your way. Know the signs so you can build your awareness and take action before it escalates.
Imposter! PArt 1
How to get out of your own way
April 26, 2019 | Natalia Edelmann
This week I had the talented Joanna a.k.a. JoJo Ellis on my show.
JoJo is an amazing Mindset Strategist, NLP Trainer, Clinical Hypnotherapist and soon to be published Author. She is passionately obsessed about helping people believe in themselves, so they can build their dream life and dream business too.
If you’re just reading my blog for the first time, and you’re wondering what show I’m referring to, it is ‘Life Strategies with Nat’ – a show that I host on my Facebook Fan Page to help entrepreneurial women create lasting transformation by getting better at life using a Wellness360 approach.
Life is meant to be enjoyed, celebrated, and loved, but sometimes we find ourselves struggling to just get through the day because it’s so hard.
It doesn’t have to be so hard when we learn to love and accept ourselves first, and then it’s a matter of clarity, vision, and drive.
You can’t have drive without vision, and you can’t have vision without clarity.
All of this leads to inspired action, which leads to progress, and as Tony Robbins says, progress = happiness.
So, this week JoJo was talking to us about Imposter Syndrome.
What is Imposter Syndrome
If you’re sitting there wondering what imposter syndrome is, let me just say that it’s a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.
Tell me if this sounds familiar:
- Someone compliments you for a job well done, and you shrug it off and say, oh it was nothing.
- You have a win at work and your immediate thought is: what luck that client found me!
- You read a job description, and you think you have to meet 90% of the criteria to apply OR you get the job and then feel like a complete fraud!... like any minute they’re going to find you out and you’re going to be living on the streets!
For a lot of people, women especially, this is a real psychological phenomenon. It stems from patterns we’ve learned through our life experiences.
Research has shown that it is, for the most part, a reaction to a certain circumstance or situation.
Imposter Syndrome is real, and you need to know the signs so you can build your awareness and take action before it escalates.
The dangers of Imposter Syndrome
Back in my corporate days, I was dealing with imposter syndrome BIG TIME!
Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise, because I wouldn’t be here without having gone through that, and I wouldn’t be able to help people through this either.
It was when I left the realm of Financial Services after 8 years, and started a brand new role in Sales & Marketing, doing something totally out of my comfort zone, and boy did the blocks ever come up for me.
The year that followed was an uphill battle, and took every ounce of me to keep going. I was on a path, and I just didn’t realize how dark it was getting until it felt like all the colours faded.
If you’re not careful, imposter syndrome can consume you, it can be debilitating, lead to stress, anxiety, low self confidence, shame and in some cases, even depression. I shrunk into this small person, I felt like a total fraud, like I had no idea what I was doing, and everyone knew it.
I hated presenting, I felt like I had to fit into this mould, but the harder I tried to fit in, the worse I felt. It didn’t matter how much reassurance I got, all I could hear was the dialogue in my mind – you’re a failure, you’re not cut out for this, you’re an imposter!!!
But you know the worst thing that can happen? You limit your courage to go after new opportunities, explore potential areas of interest, and put yourself out there in a meaningful way.
What would have happened had I stayed? How many people would I not have been able to help?
Ways to combat imposter syndrome:
When I work with women who experience this in my group mentorship program and even in my 1:1 coaching sessions, there are a number of things that we explore to help them move forward and deal with their fraudulent (or imposter-like) feelings…
If I could share with you 3 things that you can do right now, they would be…
1, Writing down a list of all your achievements, skills, successes, recommendations, anything that reminds you and shows you just how much value you have to share with the world. Create a shoebox and every time something good happens, write it down, and put it in the shoebox. At the end of the year, or when you need a pick me up, open it and remind yourself just how AWESOME you are.
2. Celebrating your wins, no matter how small. You work hard, and all the little things you do make up the bigger picture, whatever that is for you. It’s so easy to dwell on what’s not going right, that we speed through what does go right, we don’t acknowledge ourselves. Remember, practice makes progress, and progress leads to happiness.
3. Visualizing success and taking inspired action. Have a clear vision on what you want and get obsessed! If you have a big presentation coming up, visualize yourself up there giving the presentation of your life – use all of your senses and then find a picture that captures it… look at it every day and take yourself to the moment… to the point where you can feel it, you can see it, you can smell it, you can touch it… go there with all your senses, and bring that energy into your preparation.
These are just the tip of the iceberg, it’s why I decided to break this topic into parts.
It’s why I created a standalone Online Vision Board Workshop, for people outside the mentorship program just needing to get focused and clear.
If you want to learn more about my coaching programs, you can always contact me for a strategy session to see how I can help.
Life Strategies with Nat, Episode 15: How to get out of your own way with JoJo Ellis
If you missed the episode, and want to see it, click below to watch the episode on my YouTube Channel:
Get Natalia's Wellness for Wealth™ 360 Life Assessment
By subscribing, you confirm you have read the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
You will also be added to Natalia's inner circle and get further emails such as upcoming retreats, insights and offers.
2018-2023 © NATALIA EDELMANN | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & Conditions