January 2019

Imposter Syndrome: Meet Your Inner Critic – On Steroids

So many of us secretly wear our Imposter Syndrome like a ‘badge of honour’, making it part of who we are, not what we do, but what if the key to ditching Imposter Syndrome were about letting that go? How might things change for you if Imposter Syndrome were ‘just’ your Inner Critic on Steroids?

If you’ve hung out with me for a while, you’ll know I’m always talking about taming your Inner Critic. It’s that voice in your head that tells you all the bad stuff about who you are and what you can achieve.

It poops on your parade and squishes your most exciting dreams. It stopped you from asking out that dream date, way back when, and it’s the secret reason why we say no when our hearts are silently screaming yes.

But your Inner Critic has got your best interests at heart.

Yes, I’m ducking behind the screen right now to avoid the tantrums and rotten tomatoes that could be lobbed my way for saying that. The thing is that your Inner Critic’s biggest job is to protect you. I know it might not feel that way when our hearts are singing the song of something exciting and that voice in our heads is ranting about why it’s a crazy thing to do. But deep down, that mind-chatter is there because part of you is secretly scared and wants to keep you safe. And the actions we take depend on which voice wins.

One of your Inner Critic’s mantras is that safe is small and growth is scary.

It normally hangs out in the zone of your thoughts and actions, keeping check that you’re not taking risks it might not approve of or sticking your head above that parapet, where the wild things are.

When it comes to Imposter Syndrome, though, you’re no longer looking at thoughts and actions – it’s about who you believe you are and your existential fears. So your Inner Critic cranks things up to work with you to prevent an identity-level crisis.
Imposter Syndrome is basically your Inner Critic on steroids.

That’s why Imposter Syndrome wakes you up at 3am like no ‘simple’ worry ever could.

Your #innercriticis trying to keep you safe, even if its behaviour feels a bit crazy. But when #impostersyndrome strikes it's like it's on steroids. Find out why.Click To Tweet

What do I mean about Imposter Syndrome being an ‘identity-level’ issue?

Think for a moment about the kinds of words we use when we’re talking to ourselves about Imposter Syndrome:

Who am I to do that?
What if they find me out?
What if they realise I am a fraud?
What if they spot that I don’t belong here?

So much of that self-talk vocabulary is about who we are, not what we do.

And when we’re talking to ourselves like that, it’s about how we see ourselves, as a person, not our thoughts or feelings or actions.

The Imposter Syndrome Iceberg

When we look at improving our performance, most training works at the ‘actions’ level – looking at what we do and how. That’s why so many business courses don’t work – because they are focusing on the surface level symptoms (the effects), rather than the underlying triggers (the causes). In the world of Imposter Syndrome, that is about us turning down opportunities to shine or brushing off praise, or turning into workaholic perfectionists.

What we do is just the surface level symptom, because it is triggered by the thoughts we think.

We have conscious thoughts – the ones we pick and engage with – and subconscious thoughts, which are like autopilot programmes in our brains. And that’s useful, because it’s why we wake up able to remember how to walk each morning, without thinking about it afresh.

These thought patterns are habits, wired into your brain. In the world of Imposter Syndrome, they’re the conversation we’re having with ourselves when the ‘who am I, to…’ trigger strikes.

But those thought habits are still just at the ‘effect’ level – symptoms of what is going on, below the surface.

Our thoughts are governed by what we believe about the world – and what’s important to us. This tells your brain what to pay attention to – in filters in your brain – hence seeing red cars everywhere if you buy one – and it’s pretty useful that you can function in daily life, without having to be consciously aware of the blood pressure in the big toe of your left foot.

With Imposter Syndrome, those beliefs might be that we only achieved what we have done so far by fluke – or luck – or timing. It might be that we believe success has to be hard work and that if it felt easy to us, then it was nothing special and so anyone can do it. We might be running a belief that everyone else has got their stuff together, so we feel isolated as the only person who struggles with Imposter Syndrome. And these mean your good ol’ brain will obey your filtering requests and show you more evidence to support this.

But what is really driving the show with Imposter Syndrome is how you see yourself.

This kind of person gets a pay rise, but I’m that kind of person, so I won’t ask for one.

It’s the difference between someone getting feedback on their behaviour versus who they are – the difference between ‘that was a bad thing to do’ and ‘you are a bad person’.

And that’s the level that Imposter Syndrome works at.

I had to work really hard on that project, so I am not good enough. That’s Imposter Syndrome.

We’re not saying we don’t have the skills or training to succeed. We’re are judging who we ‘really’ are and finding ourselves lacking. It’s an identity-level hit.

Going back to that thing about your Inner Critic’s job being to keep you safe, the deeper down that iceberg a trigger goes, the harder your Inner Critic’s team will work to protect you. So if you’re hanging around at the surface of the iceberg, looking at which actions to take, that negative self-talk doesn’t have to work so hard to persuade you to play small.

But if your triggers start to go deeper, reaching below the conscious surface, then your self-talk has to work harder, because it’s not just overcoming a few pesky actions or positive thoughts, it’s heading into the beliefs and values territory – what’s important to you about life.

And if those triggers hit the identity-level realm, it has to get the klaxons out, set off more fireworks than bonfire night and do everything it can to stand in your way.

Imposter Syndrome raises the stakes and cranks up your Inner Critic’s dialogue because the ‘keeping you safe’ gets cranked up to become an existential crisis.

The great news is that, although Imposter Syndrome can feel like having your Inner Critic on steroids, there is plenty you can do to tame your inner dialogue, without white-washing or pretending or fighting it. Knowing how to calm it down sets you free to handle the deeper triggers of Imposter Syndrome, so you don’t have to keep going round that roller coaster.

I’m going to be covering plenty of how-to on this in my book Ditching Imposter Syndrome. But for now, I wonder if I could ask you a favour?

I’m finishing a 2,000 person research study into Imposter Syndrome, as part of writing the book. It’s completely anonymous. I wonder if you could spare a moment to fill it out for me?
Take The Survey

And I’d love to hear from you, via the comments:

How do you know when Imposter Syndrome is coming out to play? What are your early warning signs?

And how might it set you free to be more of who you really are, if Imposter Syndrome were ‘just’ your Inner Critic on steroids?

x Clare

What’s Your Book’s Sweet Spot? It’s The Near-Magical Formula For Success

planning

What is your book’s ‘sweet spot’? Hint: it’s the near-magic formula for your book’s success – and most authors miss this vital stage of the planning process. Find out what it is, what it isn’t, and how to find yours.

Most of the time, if someone wants to write a book that will attract new clients into their business, they think about a topic they know a lot about and start writing.

I have that t-shirt.

We’re super-fired up by the idea of writing – and we’re action-takers – so we just dive in and get pounding that keyboard. 80,000 words and buckets of sweat later, we’re ready to publish.

But this is one of the biggest reasons why so many books don’t produce the results we had been dreaming of:

they don’t sell, after the initial excitement
it’s hard to get people to review it
far from groaning under the weight of warm leads, your inbox is as silent as a sleeping sloth

Why does it go so wrong?

Because the author wrote the book that they wanted to write, rather than aiming for the sweet spot.

Your book sells to your current tribe, because they trust and respect you. But it doesn’t gain the traction to find itself the fresh audience you need to make a bigger difference, because people won’t be talking about it.

It’s hard to get people to review it, because it didn’t ‘do it for them – it’s not exciting enough for them to want to put their name to reviewing it. Or maybe they don’t want to admit they didn’t read it – or finish it. It spreads waves of awkwardness through your audience.

And because it didn’t create an emotional connection in your readers, they’re much less likely to take action and get in touch with you about their next steps – your most wanted response for the book. So your inbox stays as quiet as a bunch of nuns on a silent retreat.

What Is Your Book’s Sweet Spot?

It’s the overlap between four critical aspects of your book.

They create an alchemy-level result.

It’s about SO much more than ‘just’ picking a topic or title for your book.

Here are the four key elements to your author sweet spot:

#1: A Topic That Fits Your Expertise

I’m always banging on about ‘teach what you have embodied‘. Far too many people get inadvertently sucked into the wave of ‘what’s cool’ and start teaching, coaching and consulting on that.

But…

If you’re not living and breathing the transformation you teach, it hits your credibility hard. And nowhere is that more obvious than in 80,000 words in print.

If you’re constantly ranting on your Facebook timeline, then it’s hard to be seen as a leader in the field of stress-relief. If you’re only just starting your business journey, then you’ll struggle to be taken seriously as a business expert. If you’re a weight-loss nutrition coach, then your clients will expect you to look healthy. You don’t have to be perfect. But you do need to be practising what you preach. It’s called integrity.

There needs to be substance behind what you teach in your book.

But don’t let Imposter Syndrome get in the way:

It’s ok to be just a few steps ahead. But you can’t lead from behind in a book that’s positioning you as an expert. Similarly, you don’t have to be the world’s #1 authority, before you write your book!

Finding your book's 'sweet spot': #1 Pick a topic that fits your expertise - something you're living & breathing. There's nothing like 80,000 words in print to make it obvious, if you're not. #fromexperttoauthor Want the other 3 keys?Click To Tweet

#2: You Need The Ability To Communicate

Writing a book is easier than many people think, once you have found your voice.

If you’re a regular blogger or presenter or live streamer, then you’ll have practised getting your message across in a way that resonates with your audience. But if you’re new to writing anything longer than an email, you might need some practice.

Hint: that’s why I get you flexing your writing muscles each module in the From Expert To Author Mastermind.

And it’s really important to pick a subject you feel comfortable teaching – that you’re used to explaining, where you can pre-empt the questions that could come up.

But even if writing isn’t your thing, there are other options. You could speak your book and get it transcribed. You could work with a copywriter, to hone your skills. You could even work with a ghost writer.

Be realistic about your skills in this area and get the support you need to help your book to get your big message across.

Finding your book's 'sweet spot': #2 You need the ability to communicate. Pick a subject you're comfortable teaching, where you can pre-empt the readers' questions. #fromexperttoauthor Want the other 3 keys?Click To Tweet

#3: A Topic Your Dream Audience Is Hungry To Read About

I have lost count of how many times over the past 15+ years I have come up with an idea that I thought was brilliant, gone for it, and had near-zero response, only to have ideas I thought were mediocre go crazy.

Most experts write the book that they want to read, rather than the one their readers are hungry for. And, yes, these can be two totally different things.

You need to do your homework.

My time as Head of Market Research for a major international brand taught me that people rarely know what they need. Figuring that out is your job, as the expert. And they won’t buy that, anyway.

But they often have a good idea about what they want – or rather, what they don’t want.

There are ways to research this (most of them free), which can give you insights into exactly which book they will both pay for and spend the time to read. And – guess what – that’s the book that goes viral, that easily gets rave reviews, and which grows your business.

There’s very little point in spending up to 200 hours and thousands of pounds writing a book, unless your Dream Audience is hungry to read it.

Lined up for the From Expert To Author Mastermind? We deep-dive on this in modules one and two.

Finding your book's 'sweet spot': #3 Research & write about what your Dream Audience is hungry to read - don't waste 80,000 words on a best-guess assumption. #fromexperttoauthor Want the other 3 keys?Click To Tweet

#4: A Compelling Promise

Your compelling promise is the transformation or experience your book guides the reader through. It’s the big problem it solves. It’s the thing that means whatever was keeping your reader up at 3am melts away.

It’s the reason why they’ll fall in love with your work.

It gives you your laser focus for what needs to go in your book – and what would be distracting fluff. It gives you a single reader journey, rather than branching off into confusing dead ends.

And above all, it gives your reader something to get excited about. It kicks their backside into taking action. It gets them raving to their friends about how great your book is. And it gets them wanting to work with you, to help them on the next stage of their journey.

Finding your book's 'sweet spot': #4 A Compelling Promise -it's the big problem your book solves. It's the thing that means whatever was keeping your reader up at 3am melts away. #fromexperttoauthorWant the other 3 keys?Click To Tweet

This little bit of extra research and planning is what makes the difference between a book that’s ‘meh’ and one that’s a magical business-growing tool.

I’d Love To Hear From You:

What might your book’s sweet spot be?

I’m curious: which of these four elements are you feeling strongest in? And which might need some work?

You can let me know, via the comments.

If you found this useful, please do share this article with friends and colleagues who might be writing a book. You can find more articles that talk about your book’s sweet spot here.