Are You Suffering From Imposter Syndrome?

You have an idea about something great you want to do. You tell it to a good friend.

They assure you that it’s a great idea and encourage you to go for it.

First you feel pumped. You are sure that it will work. And you are sure that you are the right person to do it.

But when you start to plan and work on it, you start hearing a little voice in your head.

It starts telling you that this isn’t such a good idea. What if you start and it fails? What if you put so much time and money into it, and it doesn't work? What if you are not as good as you thought you were? What if? What if? What if?

See you are not alone, most people experience this when they start pursuing a goal.

It is especially true in careers. It doesn’t matter if you take the traditional route, or decide to become an entrepreneur.

Most people experience them at some point in their lives. These feelings become magnified when you start comparing yourself to others.

This is the concept of Imposter Syndrome:

Imposter Syndrome is the inability to believe that you deserve the success you have. Or the belief that you don't have the ability to achieve the result you are seeing through your own efforts and skills.

Imposter Syndrome sabotages your success

This is because, when you have these feelings bottled up, you slowly start to believe it.

You become skeptical about your skills and your talents. Your believes start to become self fulfilling prophecies. And your actions begin to align with the ideas brought about by the imposter syndrome.

Others around you may praise you for your hard work and dedication. But you don't believe it. You feel like a fake.

These are some of the most obvious ways in which imposter Syndrome show up today. And if you speak to almost any successful person, they could relate to feeling this way at some point in life.

The Unlikely Signs of Imposter Syndrome

Perfectionism Or Overachieving

Sometimes imposter syndrome doesn't appear so obvious. Sometimes it comes in the form of perfectionism and over achieving.

Say for instance, you want to start your business. So you convince yourself that you need to write a business plan or design a logo. You get stuck for years working on your business plan, or designing the logo.

Because these things will never be perfect enough to put out into the world...
You never actually start the business.

Many people don’t realize it, but it’s the fear that they feel that keeps them from starting.

The fact that they don’t believe that they can achieve what they set their mind to keeps them from taking action.

Fear of Asking for Help

Sometimes imposter syndrome shows up in the form of fear of asking for help. You become scared to look for outside help because it confirms that you could never do it.

Fear of Failure

Sometimes you judge yourself too hard for not getting something right the first time.

Sometimes you see how something looks so easy for others and you can’t comprehend why it’s so challenging for you.

Remember that you don't have to do these things alone. On www.gigged.bz, you can find professionals that are ready to help you with, your business plan, designing your logo and walking you through the steps to get your business up and running.

How to combat it?

But these things don’t have to be this way. You can change your view and mindset and learn how to deal with it.

The reality of it is, that imposter syndrome never goes away. Especially for people who are trying to grow and level up.

Some steps you can take to combat Imposter Syndrome are:

Repeat

You usually get overwhelmed with imposter syndrome when you try something new.

This is because something new doesn’t feel right. So to get over this you need to do it again and again.

This increases your ability to understand and accept the feeling of doing something.

Visualize

You can also try to visualize it happening.

Visualizing allows your body to experience the feelings and emotions of doing something. It conditions your nervous system and prepares it for when you actually do it.

It is no longer a new feeling, or a new experience. Instead, it’s something that you have felt before.

This makes it easier for you to believe that it is going to happen.

Talk about it to others

Talk with others and ask for feedback. You avoid this beause you feel scared that the feedback will confirm your feelings of being a fake.

But it’s usually the opposite that occurs.

Asking for feedback allows others the opportunity to show you where you are doing a good job. It also allows them to offer constructive criticisms.

Things that we can all agree can be very useful in accelerating your path to your goal.

Friend or Foe?

So maybe it’s not such a bad thing. This is because it usually shows up when you are leveling up.

It shows up when you are putting yourself in situations that are out of your comfort zone. It shows up when you are learning new things.

So learn to identify the signs. And say, “Oh, there’s that imposter syndrome again,'' I must be reaching a new level.

Embrace it, and see yourself grow.

This challenge

Make a list of ways that you experience imposter syndrome.
This will help you to be aware the next time it comes around.

Try to think about some of the strategies that you have used to combat it.

Comment some strategies below to help others who experience this.