Me: raises both hands.
By definition, imposter syndrome is “the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved by one’s own skills or efforts.” Or “a psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a fraud.”
Holy sh*t I feel seen!
What is it about starting a business and venturing out on your own that makes you seriously doubt yourself over and over? Don’t get me wrong, I know my skillset and my limitations, and I have made an impact with my work, but it seems I am always in a perpetual cycle of believes in myself / doubts myself / believes in myself / doubts myself.
But why am I writing about this? My business might be in marketing, but my clients are business owners. I’m all about community over competition, supporting each other and walking alongside businesses to help them grow. And part of what I do is remind my clients of their strengths, their point of difference and why their customers choose them. That’s a powerful marketing message and when we remind ourselves of these things it helps to quieten down that voice of self-doubt.
Here are some of the things I remind myself of when that self-doubt voice creeps its way in….
You have spent your entire career learning these skills, you know what you’re talking about.
Your clients value your work and it creates results.
What you don’t know you can learn.
No-one does it quite like you and that’s your strength.
Other tips for squashing imposter syndrome…
Track, measure and celebrate your successes.
Create a vision board of affirmations.
Admit your feelings to someone – you’ll be surprised to find you’re never alone.
Focus on the facts and fight your feelings with evidence and reality.
Reframe your negative thoughts and find the positive part of each experience.
Find yourself a mentor.
Release the expectation you have to be perfect.
If you’ve found yourself being attacked by that voice in your head, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone, and the things that voice says to you are wrong! So, today, and every day, remind yourself that you’re a badass and you’re amazing at what you do. And on the days when you need a little extra support and a bit of boost, message me - I’ll be your cheerleader and together we’ll tell that voice to sit the f*ck down.
Love,
Erin xx
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