I love hearing the buzz of high-achieving women! They are going places and doing things and of course, look like they got it all together. A common theme that I hear amongst these powerful influential women is that they “feel like a fraud” or often referred to as “impostor syndrome” discovered by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978. They often wonder: What if people learn that I am still working at a job while striving to be an entrepreneur? What if they learn that I am not as talented as they think? What if they learn that I do not have as money as they think I do?
There is a saying that someone once said, “What other people think of you is none of your business?” Stop worrying about what other people think of you and focus on what you think of you and start showing up as the best you. Don’t compare yourself to others – you are comparing to one moment in time not their lifetime.
Impostor syndrome is often perceived by high-achieving women who are perfectionists by nature. They feel that nothing they do is good enough. They become concerned about being found out. They are quick to dismiss compliments and acknowledgements.
If you are showing some signs of suffering from Imposter Syndrome, there are things you can do to help:
Acknowledge Your Accomplishments. Start by recognizing your achievements big and small.
Believe Your Deserve Success. You need to internalize your achievements and recognize your strengths and talents.
Develop Your Courage and Take a Risk. Complete your due diligence and take a leap of faith in yourself that no matter what the outcome is you will make it.
Learn from Your Mistakes. Instead of punishing yourself when things do not go as you planned, learn from your mistakes so you do not repeat them.
Embrace Your Challenges. Plow Down the Obstacles – Look at the opportunities and possibilities available to you in the challenges you face. How will it develop your character or perhaps push you out of your comfort zone.
Finally, for heaven’s sake, quit being the world’s best kept secret because you are worried about being “fake” or “fraud”. There are many people out there thinking the same thing – wanting you to think everything is perfect and you have it all figured out.
Take the mask off! Let the best you show up every day! When you give your best and deliver, people will be naturally attract to you and what you have to offer. You have amazing gifts in which the world needs – get going!
Love this Debra. I can well identify with it myself. And in the course of coaching women over 40, I meet so many women who feel a fraud underneath their seemingly confident exterior. Well, we aren’t alone. And it is indeed time to remove the mask and show our magnificence.