Imposter syndrome, in my opinion, is one of the worst ways we self-sabotage ourselves. If you’re unfamiliar with what imposter syndrome is, it’s essentially a mindset block we face when we believe we’re not as good at something as we actually are. We can feel imposter syndrome about anything, from being a good parent to being good at your job, to friendships, relationships, etc. When we feel imposter syndrome, it’s because neural pathways have been created from previous moments in our lives. These moments typically consist of being told we’re not good enough or talented enough. Once that initial pathway has been created, we reinforce it by telling ourselves further we’re not good at something. Eventually, we believe this so deeply that no matter how good we actually are, we always believe we’re not enough.
Imposter syndrome is something the majority of people will experience in their life. But here’s the great news: we can clear our blocks around imposter syndrome. By using many of our healing and intentional living tactics, like EFT, we can clear our symptoms of Imposter syndrome. There have been numerous moments in my life where I have the enormous weight of Imposter Syndrome. But, as I have healed, I’ve developed ways to recognize when I’m feeling imposter syndrome and how I clear those blocks. That’s all it really is. Imposter syndrome is a block we feel in the face of being successful. We can’t see our true ability because we’re blocked by the neural pathway we’ve so adamantly created. So to clear these feelings, we have to identify where this belief originated and address the source.
How I (And You Too) Clear Feelings of Imposter Syndrome
I was recently having a conversation with one of my best friends about her feelings of imposter syndrome at work. As I was listening, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the ways I look up to this woman. I kept thinking to myself, “How do you not see what I see?” I was having repeating thoughts of, ‘But you’re so amazing, so smart, and so good at what you do.’ After I continued to express this to her— how much I believe in her and how much I know others believe in her— I stopped to think about my own feelings of imposter syndrome. One of the first things I always love to remind myself of when I’m feeling like an imposter is how much those around me believe in me.
Step One: view yourself through the eyes of another
The next time you’re feeling symptoms of imposter syndrome, take a moment to remove yourself from the situation and view yourself through the lens of another person. Our friends don’t just say we’re good at things to boost our egos. Your friends tell you you’re talented and good at something because you actually are. And while this is far easier to hear than it is to believe sometimes, they’re saying it because it’s true. When I feel like an imposter, especially when it comes to owning my own business, I like to remind myself of the admiration I receive from my friends. While this may seem silly, and even self-centered to some, it’s a great way to remind yourself of your unique talents. Step back and take a second to actually listen to the words your friends, colleagues, and family use to describe you.
Step Two: Build on the positive Neural Pathway
Replacing a negative neural pathway is as easy as creating one. We tend to think replacing negative thoughts with positive ones is very difficult. But in fact, creating a new and positive neural pathway comes just as easily. The only difference between the creation of a positive and negative neural pathway is your belief in the thought. Ask yourself, is it easier to believe you’re good at something or you’re bad at something? Whatever your answer is, it’s because one neural pathway is stronger than another. So the next time you catch yourself feeling like an imposter, practice a pattern interrupt and immediately change your thoughts to the positive neural pathway. That’s how easy it is to build on the positive.
When it came to conversations of the mind when I began my intentional living journey, I had a lot of fear around positive thinking. When I learned that my negative thinking was chronic, I knew I needed to change my mindset in every facet. But, I was scared of thinking positively because it felt like a lie. I felt as though thinking and speaking to myself in a positive way was lying because I didn’t believe those thoughts. But, over time, as I trained my thoughts to believe something different, I slowly cleared the blocks I had around feeling like an imposter.
Step Three: Practice being mindful of noticing your success
A part of thinking positively will be noticing where you’re seeing success. Typically, when we feel imposter syndrome, we disassociate from the ways we’re successful. Instead of taking note of it, we diminish our success by saying, ‘I could have been better,’ or trying to point out ways something went wrong. Similarly to retraining our minds, we need to re-train our steps around the feelings of imposter syndrome. Personally, the steps I take to remind myself of my success is to celebrate ALL wins. Whenever I feel feelings of success in my business, I take a moment to acknowledge it. I notice why I feel successful, what happened to get me there, and how it makes me feel personally.
Being mindful of yourself, your emotions, and your success is a part of living intentionally. In fact, it’s an essential part. So the next time you’re feeling like an imposter in any genre of your life, try taking these steps to change your mindset and clear the block. Also, take a look at the blog, How Imposter Syndrome Relates to Your Self-Worth. Identify why you’re feeling like an imposter and work to clear it; because you’re deserving of feeling like the success that you are.
