Do you ever feel that you’re not worthy of success? Have you ever brushed aside opportunities thinking you’re not good enough yet? Don’t worry most of us have, myself included. We constantly hold ourselves back, from doing things we believe would bring true meaning and purpose in our lives — because we have this constant fear of not being good enough. It’s called having the Impostor Syndrome.
What Do You Mean By Impostor Syndrome?
Impostor Syndrome is the intellectual form of Self Doubt. It’s not a personality trait just a psychological phenomenon — where people believe that they are not deserving of living their dream life. Studies show that over 70% people feel like impostors. That’s a large percentage! People like Michelle Obama, Masie Williams and Tom Hanks have also been there.
Fear of Failure & Fear of Success
We keep putting off the things that we love to do, our goals or dream projects, because of the fear — fear of failing, fear of people’s judgement, fear of not getting the success we desire, fear of not being good enough. And because of these fears we self sabotage our success. This is the fear of failure that we all suffer from. Perfectionists often deal with this fear. On the contrary, their is also the fear of success, where people are afraid of doing something great, because they feel that they are not worthy of it. They have these huge dreams in their head, but they get so afraid to follow them that they don’t even try. This often happens to people who are taught to “play small” from a younger age.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You need to realize that all these fears only exist in your head. People will always judge you, even when you don’t do anything. You are fully capable of achieving the dreams that are planted in your head. And the best thing is that you don’t have to believe in yourself to get started. You might have that little voice in your head telling you “You’re not good enough”, and you might even believe that voice but nobody’s stopping you from taking actions. Because, if you take actions consistently, you will begin to see results. And that is how you eventually overcome it. You’ll only reinforce the belief of not being enough, if you keep talking yourself out of things.
Reasons Behind having Impostor Syndrome
Having an imposter syndrome could be attributed to a mix of nature and nurture — our limiting beliefs & the experiences we had as a child. Our believes are formed on the basis of the past experiences that we’ve had in life. Suppose, you participated in a school competition. You went on stage and forgot all your lines. It was embarrassing and from thereon you developed this belief of being a terrible public speaker for the rest of your lives, even after 10 years of that incident. But are you still the same person you were 10 years ago? No, right. Then how can you have the same judgements about yourself.
Also, the environment in which we grow up creates a big influence in the way we think. We believe the things that we repeatedly hear and learn from our parents, teachers and mentors. For example, If your parents always told you that money is the root of all evil, you’d grow up with some seriously negative money beliefs. We all have an inner critic who keeps a running list of all our flaws. To recognize this voice and work beyond these negative views, we must be self-aware. Remember, you are not your thoughts.
How to Deal with Impostor Syndrome?
It’s a common phenomenon that most of us deal with. So, here are some ways to help you overcome your imposter syndrome.
• Become Self Aware
The next time when you’re about to pursue your dreams and you hear a voice within your head telling you that you don’t deserve it or that you’re not capable enough, recognize that it’s your imposter syndrome. If you are self-aware enough, it will not have control over you, Learn more about how to be self-aware here.
• Talk to Someone
When you bring your self doubts to the light, they begin to disappear. Most of us are afraid of other people’s opinions. Talking to a friend about it, will make you feel a lot better. And you’ll also notice that you have far more supporters than critics.
• Accept Yourself
Accepting yourself as you are eliminates the need for self-doubt. Accept your strengths and weaknesses and continue to work on your goals. Once you start seeing results, you’ll probably start telling yourself a different story. After all, outcomes are what give people confidence.
• Think About Your Success In The Past
Our brain has a natural tendency to focus on the negative. Recall a moment when you achieved something or when your mentor or idol praised your work. Whenever you have doubts about yourself, write down your three accomplishments, big or small.
• Gratitude Journaling
Noticing the good around you can also shift your perspective. Gather your thoughts in a journal or in your mind and write down 3-5 things you are grateful for right now. It might seem ridiculous, but give it a try; it will make you feel better. After all, how many times do we stop and stare at our lives not to complain but to appreciate it.
Conclusion
Your impostor syndrome might trick you into believing that you’re not enough, but the truth is you are more than enough and the world needs to see your light. And every moment that you’re delaying that because of self doubt, you’re refraining to benefit someone else from your work. Comment down below and tell me which idea worked well for you in overcoming your imposter syndrome.
Really inspired with what you write.
Thank you.