Dear professional woman,
You question your skills and abilities. You doubt yourself too often. And that's not who we are.
The truth is when you show up - doors open for you.
Opportunities arise.
Sometimes, you will feel like an imposter. And that's a lie! You are powerful, competent, and worthy.
I stand before you today not as an Imposter Syndrome Survivor but as a daily overcomer! And every day is a fight.
A fight to win the battle against myself.
I would like to tell you this is just a word and give you some good ol' motivational inspirational rah-rah, but it's a real thing. And I get it because I've been there and I'm still there some days.
So, what exactly is imposter syndrome?
Let's chat about it.
Imposter Syndrome is something many entrepreneurs, freelancers, and other ambitious people go through.
If you have ever desired to achieve anything, chances are you've experienced it in one way or another. Imposter Syndrome is defined as "a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a 'fraud.'"
Even reading that definition makes my heart beat a little bit faster.
Have you ever felt like you didn't deserve or couldn't do something that you were born to do? Keep reading.
3 daily affirmations for High Achieving women to overcome imposter syndrome
#1 When imposter syndrome tells you you are fake and a fraud.
The truth is: You deserve to be here.
Comparison is the thief of all joy. It can also be the thief of progress and profit. If you're comparing yourself to industry leaders, you may never get started.
Even the best-of-the-best start from scratch.
We all fall somewhere on the spectrum of beginner to expert. And the experts had to make their way through that spectrum also. Most of us are somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. Does that mean that you aren't great? No.
It is not a coincidence that you have made it this far. The opportunity wouldn't be in front of you unless you deserved it. Your massive vision wouldn't be yours unless you were capable. Trust yourself with new experiences.
#2 When your imposter is telling you: You're not a real ________.
The truth is: YES, YOU ARE.
I am an event designer. When I started my event design business, I didn't feel qualified. I didn't have the confidence to say I was an event designer.
My insecurity was so deep–it was hard for the WORDS to come out of my mouth.
It's only been within the last 2 to 3 years that I have had the confidence to say it (even though I've been in business almost 8 years).
I discovered it was an internal struggle because my clients and peers were often impressed by me. But no matter how many unique events I did- still I didn't believe it because I didn't believe in myself.
When I first shifted gears from corporate to professional event designing, this feeling came up a lot. I didn't feel like a real event designer. My degree was in Psychology, I didn't have any formal training in event design. I didn't know all the technical terms, didn't know the rules of design, or where to begin. I didn't know much about pairings, accent lighting, audiovisuals, and the list can go on and on.
Then I started thinking about what makes someone a real event designer. Simply put, a real event designer is someone who can complete the final design for an event. Period. So I figured out my lane and the essential skills of an event designer and filled in the gaps with training, workshops, and seminars.
And through all this, I learned that I could design. Actually, I was born to do this.
The only person I needed to convince that I was good enough was who looked back at me when I stared at the mirror.
#3 When imposter syndrome tells you that you lack education, knowledge, and expertise.
The truth is: Your feelings are not facts.
Even if you know the sources of your imposter syndrome, the feeling can still be hard to shake.
You have to do the inner work.
If you recognize yourself in the description of the impostor phenomenon, take heart. There are ways to overcome the belief that you don't measure up:
✔️ Talk to your mentors.
✔️ Recognize your expertise
✔️ Remember what you do well.
✔️ Realize no one is perfect
✔️ Change your thinking
✔️ Talk to someone who can help.
Overcoming imposter syndrome is work. It's about showing up even when you feel inadequate. It's about taking the class and becoming a lifelong learner. All in all, Imposter syndrome is about unpacking the voice in your head that keeps you from doing, being, and becoming.
It's about starting the business and hiring a team of professionals so you can stay in your zone of genius. It's taking the risk and betting on yourself.
On the days when you feel like a fraud, the days when you're worried about messing everything up when you feel like you don't know enough or haven't done enough, even on the days when you can't connect with what you love to do remember you are still doing so much better than you think you are. The success you hold is earned and absolutely deserved.
Until Next Time