Looking Towards The Future in Work and Life

Imposter Syndrome can be hard to work through. It is hard to change your own mindset when you feel like you do not deserve all of the things that you get in your life or you feel like you are an imposter. You will need to work through it for a long time in order to make this work and ensure that you can feel like you belong.

Imposter syndrome is basically going to be a sign of low self-esteem. You do not feel that your contributions matter and worry that others are going to figure out that you do not belong. When you put together all the tips that we discussed above, you will be able to get rid of the imposter syndrome and start to feel better and take recognition for all of the great things that you do in life.

Recognize the Syndrome

Before you can take steps to work on improving yourself, you need to recognize that you are suffering from imposter syndrome. If you feel like you do not belong, that you do not deserve any of the accolades or praise that you get, and you worry that someone is going to catch on to it, then it is likely that you have imposter syndrome. There is no official diagnosis for this, so you may have to do that on your own. But once you recognize some of the symptoms we discussed before, you will be able to make the necessary changes to improve your life.

Work on the Self Esteem

Working on your self-esteem is one of the best things that you can work with in order to fight off imposter syndrome. When the self-esteem is low, it is hard to feel like we are worth much and we worry that others will find out this lack of value as well. The problem here is that everyone has value and we all bring something good to the table that makes us special and unique. It is just the imposter syndrome that is holding you back.

It is important to take steps in your life to work on that self-esteem. We went through some of the steps that you could use before, but the more you work on it, the more it will help. When you can improve your self-esteem, it becomes easier to see just how important you are and what value you bring to the table. You are also more likely to stand up for yourself, go after things that are important for you, and start to feel like part of the ground.

Do not be afraid of failure

When we are afraid of failing, we miss out on so many opportunities that we should just jump into. Failure is a part of life though and everyone has a story or two about a time they failed that disappointed them. When we look at failure as a learning opportunity, rather than a defining moment that will keep you on the sidelines.

No one wants to fail. It isn’t a lot of fun at all. With a good plan in place and a mindset change about what constitutes failure, we can make it through even the hardest times that we are not that fond of at all.

Stop with the Comparisons

Another step to consider is to stop with the comparisons. As we discussed before, if you spend all your time comparing yourself to others, then you are going to end up in a mess. There will always be those who have better skills than you in one area or another. This does not mean they are better than you in everything.

There are skills and characteristics that you have that other people would love to have as well. You have unique talents that you can bring to the table and while someone may be a better at conversating with others or better at doing presentations, you may be better at time management or managing other people to help get the work done and this can be just what your boss needs when giving a promotion.

When you stop the comparisons, you can live a happier life. You can recognize all the great things that you have in your life and how amazing you truly are. And this can be a great way to get rid of imposter syndrome.

Overcoming imposter syndrome can take a long time. It is a change in mindset and will not happen in just a few minutes or even a few days. You will need to work on it over time, but with some of the steps we have discussed, you can easily make it work and get rid of imposter syndrome for good.

Conclusion

Imposter syndrome can ruin your life. It can make you feel on edge and introduces a lot of negative emotions and thoughts that you need to worry about all the time. Many people live with this their whole lives and are not able to get through the power that it seems to hold on them.

As we discussed in this guidebook, you are able to make some small changes in your life that will result in large improvements in your mindset overall. This can help you to improve your self-esteem and kick imposter syndrome to the curb. It will not happen overnight, but with some hard work and a recognition that your contributions are valuable will make a world of difference as well.

When you are ready to fight off imposter syndrome and start feeling like you belong in the workplace or at home, then take a look at this guidebook to learn some of the simple steps you can take to make this happen!



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David1960 Premium
Thank you Catherine for this post. It speaks to me loudly. I have read about this syndrome not too long ago on a Facebook page somewhere. But it didn't really hit me until I read your blog. I'm going to do a little more introspection on how and why I behave the way I do sometimes. This article is a real eye opener.
Thanks again!!
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TheCatherine Premium Plus
Yes that sounds like a good idea.
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ActionJacks Premium Plus
Thank you so much for this inciteful and relevant training. The more successful I become, the more resentment and insults I have to put up with from my siblings. Hatred and resentment from loved ones can cause otherwise successful people to feel this way. Once again thanks for the wonderful information, You could publish it as an eBook!
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TheCatherine Premium Plus
Thank you. I wanted people to be able to be aware of it
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LettyBess Premium
Great message; thanks for sharing.
It helps me to think critically. I want to do videos and have a YouTube channel.

I'm being stuck in doing it. What comes to my mind every time I started is -- this video should be perfect in the eyes of my former office staff and friends.

This is where I got stuck as I always strive for perfection in all that I do. Is this impostor syndrome? Looking forward to your thoughts on this. Thank you, in advance, Catherine.

All the best,
Letty
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TheCatherine Premium Plus
Letty, just start it. Perfection often looks too slick on YouTube, it often looks staged. People relate to real people
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JKulk1 Premium
I only just came across this article Catherine, and I'm grateful I did. I was quite successful in my working life but I always felt inadequate. I have always felt like I was the imposter. Your blog opened up a lot of long hidden issues from deep inside of me. I never thought that my childhood might have been the cause of these issues. I had a fantastic home life, having had loving parents, heaps of fantastic siblings and room to roam on our bush property. Then, after reading your article, it hit me. I was bullied for the whole seven years of my primary school life. One child decided he hated me and he made my life a constant misery.
But that's a long story that I'll leave for now. Suffice to say that I lost confidence because of it.
I was always a high performer at school, but I believed I wasn't. I never thought that anyone else had noticed my dilemma, that was until about a year ago. It was at this time that I was reacquainted with several people from my primary school days. One who told me how she had always felt sorry for me and how I was treated by this bully boy and a certain teacher, strange thing was I didn't even remember the teacher. Another told me how they had avoided me because I was to intelligent, he was sorry for his actions.
I'm telling you this because, thanks to your article, I finally understand why I feel the way I do and what I can do about it.
I can't believe myself just what a profound affect your blog has had on me. I'm a big man, no longer young. I have achieved much, suffered much and have surrounded myself with a beautiful family. I have a great life, yet here I am opening myself up to you, with tears pouring out of my old eyes. Thank you Catherine. Jim
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TheCatherine Premium Plus
Jim my heart goes out to you. I too recently found out that my childhood wasn't what I thought it was.
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FKelso Premium Plus
I must be fortunate...I don't think I have this one. I have enough other shortcomings...don't need more.
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