IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Accelerate your business with these expert tips on "Impostor Syndrome". Analyse and discover this TIP!

The impostor syndrome, sometimes called the "impostor phenomenon" or "fraud syndrome", is a psychological phenomenon where people NOT able to internalise their achievements and suffers from a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud. 

When the entrepreneur does not feel "responsible" or "deserving" of his or her achievements, and fears losing them by being discovered.

It happens most often with women entrepreneurs, highly successful women, highly educated, considered successful in their careers or profession, respected by colleagues and organisations.

Women with the syndrome did not experience a sense of inner success and considered themselves as imposters.

Questions for you to think about whether you suffer from imposter syndrome:

• Perfectionism: Do you consider yourself a perfectionist?
• Self-criticism: Are you so critical of yourself that you sabotage your ideas?
• Fear of failure: Are you paralysed by the thought that you might fail?
• Self-pressure: Do you put too much pressure on yourself to achieve?

Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome in Entrepreneurship

Here are several ways I have thought of or used to successfully overcome imposter syndrome:

#1 Thinking it is transitory

Just as I told you that I once felt like an impostor when giving a talk in front of an expert audience, today I can tell you that a few months later I had already lost that fear.

For most of us, these moments in which we suffer from impostor syndrome are transitory. They often appear immediately after accepting a proposal for which we do not feel accredited, starting a new project or business, etc.

For some people, impostor syndrome becomes more intense (chronic) and begins to hinder personal or business development.

For the latter, the following tips will be of great help.

#2 Don't compare yourself to others

This is undoubtedly the biggest mistake we have all made. It is useless to compare yourself with someone who has travelled all the road you have yet to travel with your business, profession or company.

In some cases these people have their businesses in other markets with a more stable economy, larger population or greater purchasing power.

In other cases they have started their projects with an investment of money that we do not count (now, but who knows later).

Maybe these people had more previous work experience and in your case you are just starting out. Some people set up a business with a partner and in your case you are a solopreneur.

Doesn't it seem illogical now to compare yourself with someone so different?

The best way to overcome impostor syndrome is to stop comparing yourself with others.

#3 Review your achievements

An excellent way to overcome the impostor syndrome in entrepreneurship, for those with some experience, is to review the results obtained.

Examples of achievements and results:

To have your client increase sales by x% after your work is a great result.

Having your business help other people to start up is a huge result.

To have managed to leave a job for a company and now be self-employed and make a living out of it is a fantastic result.

In part these achievements can be seen in the "numbers" of your finances or those of your clients, but you could also review your list of testimonials from satisfied clients where you will see in writing their appreciation for your help (for your work).

If you don't already have testimonials, you could look at the comments left by blog readers, social media followers so that you never forget how useful your work, business or contribution of any kind is.

There are also other, less tangible but very important types of personal achievements: to have more free time to spend with your family, your partner or for yourself.

#4 We have all felt like this

If big multinational CEOs feel the burden of imposter syndrome, how can we, ordinary people who just want to make a living from our business or profession, not feel it?

Howard SchultzStarbucks CEO revealed that he and other CEOs he knows feel the same way: "Very few people, whether they've been in this job or not, feel they are qualified to be the CEO. They won't tell you that, but it's true.

HOW TO OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME:

Ask the people around you if they have ever felt like a fraud. You will find that the vast majority will answer yes.

Ask the person you admire so much and who motivated you to become an entrepreneur if he or she has ever felt like a fraud or if he or she has not experienced imposter syndrome.

Ask your business or life mentor if he or she has ever suffered from imposter syndrome.

You will find that in most cases, all of these people have suffered from imposter syndrome and have overcome it in order to move on with their life or business.

#5 Talk about it in your groups

We are all part of some online or traditional (offline) community where you are surrounded by people who are your peers and therefore have the same problems and fears as you.

Related to the previous point, perhaps some of the people in your communities have gone through impostor syndrome either in business or in some other aspect of their personal lives.

This solution that I propose to solve the impostor syndrome is simple, it is about talk about it with people close to youIt is much better if they are in the same situation as you, i.e. if they can understand you.

GROUPS TO HELP YOU OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME:

• Your closest circle of friends.
• Closer relatives (but those who do not criticise everything).
• Create a mastermind group or join a mastermind.
• Talk about it in your online community (Facebook group, private community, etc.).
• Discuss it with your colleagues who you think might understand you.
• Discuss it in a mentoring session with your mentor (business* or life).

#6 Create content

Creating content is the foundation of our online business industry and digital marketing in general. The importance of creating content to demonstrate to your potential customers: authority, expertise, legitimacy and credibility.

An example is when I prepare a presentation, talk or workshop as a speaker or lecturer. Seeing the finished presentation shows me that I know my stuff.

The same when I write blog articles, when I see the finished article I prove to myself that I know about the subject, that I am not a fraud or an impostor. I'm sure there will be professionals who know more than me about some subjects but as I said: it is not worth comparing.

In short: one way to solve the imposter syndrome is to create your own content, be it articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, infographics, images and even ebooks or downloadable PDFs such as the CAM book.

#7 Set yourself measurable goals and objectives

One great way to address and resolve imposter syndrome is to set goals to be achieved. As you know, a series of accomplished goals forms an achieved objective.

I recommend setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals; and writing Objectives or Targets. SMART.

By defining measurable goals we will be able to know if we are on the right track. As you see that you are making progress, you will know that you are getting closer to your goal.

When we reach that goal we will know that we have "made it", when we have achieved it we will know that we are not frauds or impostors.

EXAMPLE 1:

If you are hired to give a talk as a social media expert, and you turn it down because you feel like an imposter, how about setting a goal of reaching 10,000 followers on Instagram so that next time you feel more confident and not at all like a fraud?

EXAMPLE 2:

If we are contracted to write an article on SEO and our own website is still not reaching adequate visits, how about setting ourselves the target of reaching X thousands of visits per month so that next time we feel more confident about our service/achievements?

CONCLUSIONS

It may not be easy, but it is possible to overcome imposter syndrome: we do not need to feel helpless or alone.

The next time you find yourself in a situation that feels completely out of your comfort zone, don't focus on your "flaws". Focus on the fact that this means there are new opportunities for growth and change.

In the end, if we keep doing the same thing, we will never get any change.

I invite you to overcome the imposter syndrome once and for all and start your life-changing project.