Discovering Imposter Syndrome’s Identity

The first time I heard the term “imposter syndrome” I couldn’t quite believe it. It’s the feeling I had been dealing with for years, yet could never put into words! It wasn’t just me! Other people had it, too!

Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you don’t have the skills and knowledge you claim to have, and that others will discover you’re a fraud. Even if we have all the experience in the world, we can start to question if it’s real. Whether it’s valid in our current situation.

I held onto this term so tightly that it became a part of my identity. I talked about it on social media, I encouraged my friends to read about it. (Sorry?) I loved it. It helped me embrace who I was becoming in that tumultuous first couple of years out of college.

Then, something changed.

I still knew and appreciated the term, but I began to let the feelings the term encompasses infiltrate my being more than the knowledge that I could still achieve my goals. I began to doubt more, live less, and be ruled by the feeling that I didn’t know what I thought I did.

This is a story of overcoming doubt and fear and instead learning to live in a place where I do in fact know what I know and that I’m worthy of my work.

When Imposter Syndrome Is a Theme

I should note that I’m definitely still “in it”. This isn’t a story about leaving these feelings, it’s about living in the truth instead of the lie.

Imposter syndrome is typically discussed about skills we know well, but it’s also about having the confidence to leave what we know and try something new. It’s ignoring the voices that say we don’t know enough and instead learning how to trust our experience.

When I began to believe the lies that I didn’t actually know what I was doing, I entered a season where I didn’t try anything new. I stayed in my hole, kept my focus on what I had previously determined was my strong suit and didn’t leave. If my brain was telling me my strengths weren’t good enough, then why would I try something new?

This slowly began to change after a few conversations. In one, part of the team and I at work were talking about how we could grow as a team and at our individual skill sets.

I soon decided to launch into the Facebook Blueprint Certification, which involved two exams and numerous courses on the Facebook Ads platform. I’m a poor test taker. And while I had experience in Facebook Ads, did I really have enough to pass?

Turns out, I did. I had to take the first of the two exams twice, but I did it. I dug deep, put in the time, poured through the resources, and the work paid off. I got my shiny (digital) badge, I was implementing what I had learned, and the results were in: I actually did know what I was doing.

I still have moments (fairly often) where I doubt my abilities. The most important thing is to show up, regardless of the doubt.

This is just one example of how I began to break through the identity of imposter syndrome, the fear of not actually knowing anything, and the desire to stick in my little skill cubby, not daring to try anything new.

This skill cubby is where we don’t have to try as hard for the same results because it’s where we thrive. But nothing great comes from staying in our cubby. Instead, we need to learn to venture out, work with our imposter syndrome, and begin to thrive in the process.

Learning to Work With Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome doesn’t take off overnight, and it takes work. And it’s completely and utterly worth doing this work — even though it’s not going to be easy. It takes repetition and building up confidence in your abilities. These are the top six ways I’ve improved my relationship to imposter syndrome.

1. Identify the Root Cause

We first need to identify the root cause of imposter syndrome. It’s often disguised. It likes to hide because once it’s found, it’s evicted. Your work through imposter syndrome needs to start with this because the other five steps won’t have the same impact if your root cause is still intact.

Ask yourself these questions to help you find your root cause:

• Is it a recent development? If so, what recent changes make you feel unconfident?
• Or, has it occurred for a long time? If so, does anything exacerbate it?
• Is it related to a specific project?
• Does your self-worth need some work?

Digging deep is the only way to identify your root cause. These four questions can help you get through it, but you need to be willing to put in the self-identifying work to get there.

2. Find Your Safe Space

I’ve talked about your space before, and it applies here, too. You’re leaving the comfort zone, and while people try to glorify it, it’s hard. Which means you need a safe space. This is what you already know, whether skills or a physical place, which will give you the safety and confidence you need to thrive outside of your comfort zone.

This safe place is less likely to be taken over by imposter syndrome, making it the perfect retreat. Using skills as your safe place offers a way to re-boost your confidence during (and after) your foray into something new.

This safe space could be a part of work or a personal project, but the important thing is to keep it ready for when you need it.

3. Create with No Expectations

Now that you have your safe space, it’s time to carefully venture outside of it by doing something with no expectation. A few weeks ago I bought something very out of character for me: watercolors. I could tell my perfectionism was becoming too much of a presence in my life, so I wanted to see what I could create without expectations.

Now. I’m a creative person, but painting has never been my strong suit. I joke that you never see my school art projects in my parent’s house, only my brothers. This watercolor purchase was an attempt to say “farewell” to my perfectionism for an afternoon and just create.

Creating with no expectations is a gift. It’s not expecting a certain outcome and it comes without the pressure to share. (Either by choice or as required by our work.)

This may seem like an odd choice to overcome imposter syndrome, but stay with me. Imposter syndrome is feeling like you don’t belong, so let’s go where you don’t “belong” and try something new.

This counterintuitive approach gives you perspective, reignites your creativity, and offers a chance to try something new.

Imposter syndrome is feeling like you don’t belong, so let’s go where you don’t “belong” and try something new.

4. Pick Your Mantra

Fourth, you need to pick your imposter syndrome mantra. In my little world of coffee, creativity, and running, I hear most about mantras in the running column. It’s the motivation for the run that just doesn’t go your way and what will get you through a hard race. And it’s an equally important resource in the rest of life.

A mantra is a phrase that gives us a loving kick in the pants to encourage us to keep going. You can find one or create one; the most important thing is that you use it.

Some of my favorites include:

• I am enough.
• I belong.
• Do hard things.

“Do hard things” is the mantra I keep coming back to. Life isn’t a straight line, especially in creative industries, if you want to start your own company, or can’t decide what you really want to do. (Or the slightly-terrifying trifecta of all three.)

The moments that matter most aren’t what come after finishing something easy. It’s the feeling of invincibility after accomplishing something you weren’t sure was possible.

Mantras are the essential piece of a positive mindset, and keeping yours near will help improve your mindset even when choosing the easy route is far too tempting. Check out Episode 8 for more on shifting your mindset.

This process is long because we very often don’t want to change our mindset. In the moment, we want to feel sad and down and like we won’t make it. Isn’t our mind a funny thing? Begin focusing on your mantra and you’ll begin to see positive mindset changes as you continue on your creative direction.

5. Your Team

The fifth piece is your people. It’s not a fluke how much I mention a community’s importance. Your team, whether an actual team at work or your personal support squad, can help you overcome imposter syndrome.

Share what you believe to be the root cause. If you can’t narrow it down, talking through your emotions offers clarity and give you impressive insights into how your mind operates. Your people will listen to your fears, remind you that you’re strong and knowledgeable, and pick you up so you can continue on.

And as important as a community is, there’s some inner work that needs to get done.

6. You

The last step is you. All these other steps will help you get there, but only you can truly overcome imposter syndrome. A thriving creative, personal, and professional life is on the other side, but you have to put in the effort.

End the negative self-talk and begin to tell yourself everything that’s true: you put in the work for the title. You put in the extra hours so this project would be a success. You’re recognizing weaknesses and improving them.

Without this fundamental action, you’ll be stuck at that final step, unable to cross the finish line and celebrate. Unable to succeed in your goals because your mind is telling you false truths.

You’re the one that can start a better cycle: one where you thrive, remind yourself of your core truths, and banish your root cause because it has no place here. Only you can notice when it creeps back into your mind. Then you can gather your community to rally alongside your inner work so you aren’t just working, but creating and thriving.

A thriving creative, personal, and professional life is on the other side, but you have to put in the effort.

Overcoming imposter syndrome is learning to live in the truth instead of the lie. It’s finding the root cause and it’s repeating a mantra over and over that you are not a fraud and that you do belong.

It’s gathering your community around you and ending the negative self-talk. We don’t immediately build an immunity to imposter syndrome, but it does come. Put in the work, and live in the results.