I was working with a client recently who has been running their own business for many years. They felt frustrated at how they were able to quickly grow to a certain level, but then always got stuck, no matter what kind of project they were working on.
Their Facebook groups never grew beyond a certain size. Their courses never had more than a certain number of students. They always reached the same, familiar old point in a corporate pitch and the emails would dry up. Their competitors seemed to be enjoying huge success. But despite doing all the right things, this person wasn’t getting the results they knew they deserved.
Why?
Imposter Syndrome. They felt like a fraud. The crazy thing is that this person is hugely talented. And – even more crazily – nearly every successful business owner and executive I have ever worked with has been held back by this pattern.
5 Early Warning Signs That You’re Suffering From Imposter Syndrome
I have been working with entrepreneurs and business executives on this since 2002, and here are some of the essential early warning signs for Imposter Syndrome, which mean you can get playing with the techniques I taught you as soon as possible, before Imposter Syndrome escalates and causes major damage.
Do you ever find yourself thinking things like…?
- “I’m a fraud!”
- “They’re going to catch me out!”
- “They’re onto me!”
- “Who am I, to…?”
- “I’m not good enough.”
- “I’m not really good at what I do. It’s just a sham. And one day they’ll find out.”
- “I wish I could do it like he / she does…”
Yes? Then Imposter Syndrome is silently sabotaging your success.
The problem is…
Whether you believe you’re good enough, or you believe you’re not, you’re right.
… because we get – or unconsciously create – what we believe, even if we don’t consciously realise that we believe it.
Your brain has filters that are governed by your beliefs, so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the gazillion bits of information flying around in its subconscious awareness at any point in time. So, for example, if you believe you’re rubbish at presenting, you’ll spot the feedback from the audience that confirms this.
Similarly, that’s how we accidentally create self-imposed glass ceilings and self-sabotage behaviour.
I’m curious: what has Imposter Syndrome been costing you?
- Which opportunities have you turned down?
- Which projects did you not start – or not compete?
- How many hours have you lost due to stress or worry or emotions linked to your negative self-talk?
- How many times have you felt demoralised, by comparing yourself to others and deciding that they are better than you?
If you were to tally up the cost, I’m guessing it’s much bigger than you would like.
And just imagine, if you do nothing and keep running this pattern, how much will that cost you, over the coming months and years?
The world needs your Light now, whether or not you’re running Imposter Syndrome!
And even if you now WISH you had done something about your Inner Critic years ago, remember that:
The second best time to plant an oak tree is today.
And it’s not just about you! Here are 3 reasons why your Dream Customers WISH you would deal with your Inner Critic and Imposter Syndrome:
- Negative self-talk keeps you stuck playing small, when they need you most, which means that many of your Dream Customers will be missing out on you completely:
- You can’t do your best work – in flow and connected with your inner genius – if you’re reciting mantras about how rubbish you are
- They want and need to believe in you, so that they can believe in themselves and the transformation you provide, whatever that is. That can’t happen unless you believe in yourself.
The great news is:
All of these stories about what we can or can’t achieve – or who we can or can’t be – are just thoughts. They’re not the Truth. They are simply symptoms of an inner critic – a disempowering internal dialogue – that is scared of either failure or success. And that’s ok.
What can you do?
Well, to start with: put a name to it. It takes the power out of the internal dialogue: “Oh – that’s just Imposter Syndrome come out to play.”
Can you feel the relief?
It takes the drama, emotions and potential victimhood out of the discussion. It stops the story in its tracks. It sets you free to make other choices.
Here’s another top tip:
This one’s from the world of yoga. Movement is the key to change. You can’t shift anything by standing still.
Want to sort out your inner critic and shift your internal dialogue? Then move – physically! Take action. Stop being stuck. You will never set yourself free from Imposter Syndrome by sitting at your desk and worrying.
Forget the old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.”
If what you’re doing isn’t working, try something different.
The bottom line? Thousands of my clients, students and readers over the past 10+ years have proved to me that you CAN choose which thoughts to feed. You CAN set yourself free from Imposter Syndrome. And you can even tame your inner critic – retraining it to become your biggest cheerleader.
I would love to teach you how – guiding you through, step by step.
How about we get started with Imposter Syndrome first? Right now?
I have seen so many people suffer from Imposter Syndrome – and I’ve been on the receiving end of it myself. So I have pulled together the gems from thousands of people’s journeys – the common thread techniques I have used to help them – and combined them into a process that takes less than 10 minutes to go through.
And it’s yours – as my gift – because the world needs your Light today, not when you’re ‘finally feeling ready’.
Register now to get instant access to this transformational video training – as my gift.
I can’t wait to hear what you choose to create and who you choose to be, once you have been through the Imposter Syndrome training.
See you on the ‘other side’!
With love, Namaste,
P.S. If you know anyone else who would love to ditch Imposter Syndrome, please share this article with them, so that they can sign up for the free course, too.