Welcome to my very first blog, Peace 4 Your Mind, where today, I want to talk about Imposter Syndrome.
I’ve never written a blog before or anything for others on a regular basis. Launching my spiritual coaching practice and mediation mentoring website seemed like a perfect time to learn.
But…
Imposter Syndrome rises within…
“Who am I to start a blog?”
Who in the world would want to read about what I’m thinking?”
Have you ever felt like an imposter? Have you ever doubted your abilities or feel like a phony? YOU ARE NOT ALONE. It’s estimated that over 70% of the U.S. population experiences imposter syndrome. According to the article, “Imposter Syndrome” on Psychologytoday.com, it was first documented in the 1970s among high-achieving women. Imposter syndrome is more prevalent in women, especially women of color, although men can develop the mindset as well.
Some of the characteristics of Imposter Symdrome are:
- Fear of not living up to expectations
- Self-doubt
- Attributing success to external factors
- Feeling like a fraud
- Sabotaging your own success
When you receive a promotion or start a new job, or even try a new hobby like painting, Imposter syndrome can creep in. I am changing careers completely from accounting to spiritual life coaching. I left my corporate job in 2021. While I have several certificates as a certified coach along with a few years of active coaching and a lifetime of being the “go-to” person in my circles, I still question, “Can I really do this? Can I really make a go of entrepreneurship?”
My answer, “How can I not try?”
Every time we begin something new, we move through growing pains. Doubt rears its head after a while. We’re all gung-ho but if we hit a rough patch, we may start to question. “Am I in over my head?”
Like this blog, I’m starting.
Facing my Fears
I have two fears: 1. No one will read it, and 2. I won’t be able to keep up with it.
To the first, I say, “It’s ok. It’s ok if no one reads it.”
Why, may you ask? Because I cannot control other people. My words come from my heart with the hope they may help someone. I do know they help me to write them. With coaching, I coach to help another. In the end, I let go of the results to move forward. Letting go of the expectation of the results lifts weight off my shoulders.
To the second, I say, “Honor the process.”
The joy is about the writing not about getting it done to post on my website. Life is about the process. When we keep this in mind, we can overcome that dubious imposter voice that tries to keep us safe from failure. (That’s a future blog post!)
Here are a few things I do to counter-act my imposter voice:
- Meditate – Starting the day with a quiet sit has been scientifically proven to improve focus and productivity as well as boost your mood.
- Set an intention – I have a planner where I set a daily intention. Writing down the words by hand helps establish it in the brain. Then, I say it out loud. I’m using all my senses. Well, except taste and smell, but I could smell it if I used Mr. Sketch markers!
- Vision Board – I stand in front of my vision board and let the energy flow back and forth. Below is a picture of mine.
If you’ve never completed a vision board before, I highly recommend the project. One way to overcome imposter syndrome is to recognize your achievements. When you create a vision for the future, you realize what you have already accomplished to get to where you are now. The NOW is a jumping-off point to start a new vision for your future. Which, by the way, you can manifest.
I try to not be hard on myself and stay, as much as I can, in the present moment to combat my inner imposter syndrome voice. I drink in the energy of my vision board and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Or, in the case of writing this blog, writing one word at a time. Drip by drip is how the work gets done. (Borrowing a line from Seth Godin.)
If you’ve made it to this paragraph, thank you for visiting my website. I hope you’ll schedule a free 30-minute call of how spiritual life coaching may benefit you. And I’d love to hear your story.
With appreciation,
Robin
