Top tips for business owners who have Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is something that isn’t spoken about very often as it can take a while to realise you have it and once you do realise it can feel like it is never going to go away.
Imposter Syndrome is when someone is constantly having thoughts of failure and believing they are a fraud even though they are highly capable. These thoughts can get in the way of having a successful business or achieving goals. If you have Imposter Syndrome and are planning on starting a business then you need to try and get these thoughts under control so that you can achieve your dreams.
Someone suffering from Imposter Syndrome might feel like a fraud, that they are pretending to be something they aren’t or that everything they have achieved is down to luck and as a result, they won’t acknowledge their hard work. For example, someone starting a business might feel like they don’t really know what they are doing and that they shouldn’t be running a business.
From experience, I can tell you that when you start a business from scratch, you might not know what you are doing and it is ok! It is a massive challenge you have undertaken so it is normal to question yourself and ask yourself ‘why am I doing this?’ in the beginning. These thoughts are normal as long as they are balanced with positive feelings. If you are constantly having these negative thoughts and feelings then it is time to do something about it.
It can feel very overwhelming and you might feel that it is impossible to overcome. Telling people can be difficult because they might say ‘just get over it’. It can have a big impact on running your business, for example, you might delay sending work to Clients because you expect them to come back and criticise you, you might fear being caught out and accused of being a fraud.
It is possible to overcome Imposter Syndrome.
Acknowledge the feelings
If you are suffering these feelings, the first step to battling them is to acknowledge them. Ignoring them will make the thoughts louder so my advice is to face them. When you get a thought of ‘I can’t do this’ or “I’m not good enough to do this’ change it to ‘I will do my best’. \
Take a step back and think about the reasons you can’t do it - is there an actual reason (lack of knowledge or understanding) or do you think that you aren’t good enough to do it. Being aware of your thoughts and what causes them will help you understand yourself better.
Stop bullying yourself
Did you know that we bully ourselves sometimes? The next time you have a negative thought about yourself, think about this - would you say that out loud to someone else? If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t be talking to yourself like that because you don’t deserve it.
Take note of your achievements
We all have bad days and that is ok, but there are things that you can do to help combat those bad days. Write a list of all the amazing things you have achieved in your life, get your customers to write testimonials (this will look great on your website and it is evidence that you can use to fight back on the negative thoughts).
Believe in yourself
Whether you are starting a business or running one, don’t let Imposter Syndrome stop you from achieving your goals. Because you can do this, you just need to overcome those negative thoughts. Take time each day to remind yourself of how far you have come and the hard work that went into it.
If you are really struggling, there is help out there so don’t feel you have to do this alone. Talk to your GP or a therapist and they can point you in the right direction.
