Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
“I’m not good enough.”
“Do I even belong here"?”
“Why am I pretending to be someone that I am not?”
These are the questions that tend to flood people’s minds whenever they start something new. They ask themselves whether they really belong where they are. They may even feel that they are pretending to be something they are not.
The inherent problem with this thinking is that they are comparing themselves to other people. How do you know if you “belong here”? The only way is by comparing yourself and your progress/success to another person. The problem is that you comparing our chapter 2 to someone else’s chapter 20. Now explain to me how it is reasonable to expect to be at the level of the person who is at chapter 20 when were are at chapter 2?
It’s not.
Stop comparing yourself to other people. Stop comparing somebody’s chapter 20 to your chapter 2. The most important thing is that we realize where you are at and how you will continue to progress. Instead of putting your attention on other people and how you are not where you want to be, instead put your attention on growing to what you want to be. Yes, you may not be exactly where you want to be right now…that’s ok. What is not ok is putting yourself down because you are not there yet. Stop focusing on the past and start to focus on the present. NOW.
One of my all time favorite quotes is:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.”
My point: Stop focusing on the past and thinking that it is too late or that you will never get to where you want to be. If you want to grow as a person and improve yourself, stop dwelling on the past and start to take action TODAY to get you to where you want to be. The way you get from chapter 2 to chapter 20 is by making consistent progress every day. It’s not about the person who can go all out for a week and then give up. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The most important thing is that you are making consistent progress towards your goals every day.
To recap:
To stop the feeling of imposter syndrome, stop comparing yourself to others. It is not fair to compare your chapter 2 to a person’s chapter 20.
Now how do we get from chapter 2 to chapter 20? Take consistent action every day. Stop dwelling on the past, start focusing on the present, and take action NOW.
