Speaking Boldly, Inc.
Recently, I had the awesome privilege of hosting an event for women business owners. It was an amazing and enlightening event. One of the things we discussed was the imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when you have feelings of being a fraud and as if you don’t deserve your success or achievements. It causes feelings of self-doubt & negative thinking and will paralyze you and keep you from moving forward with your goals. It literally holds you hostage. There are 5 types of imposter syndrome.
The Perfectionist’s - if everything isn't perfect you deem yourself a failure.
The Expert - the need to know everything and even a minor lack of knowledge causes you feelings of shame and of being a failure.
The Soloist - feels the need to do everything alone and asking for help brings on feelings of weakness, failure, and shame.
The Natural Genius - must accomplish things quickly and easily if not you feel like a failure.
The Superhuman (Superwoman) - needs to be perfect in every role such as: mom, wife, friend, employee, boss.
At this event, we did an activity to work on getting rid of of the imposter syndrome. First, I started by having them write on a piece of paper which one of the above 5 types resonated with them. And yes, it could be more than one. Then, they tore the paper up and threw it in the trash.
Now, whenever you get rid of something negative; you have to replace it with something positive. This helps you to avoid repeating the negative behavior and instead focusing on the positive. Finally, I provided them with a positive affirmation to recite daily or when those moments of self-doubt or negativity creeped into their minds. I’m sharing this affirmation with you here today in hopes that if you are suffering with imposter syndrome this will help you to move forward in the direction of your goals and dreams.
"I deserve success and every opportunity that comes my way and I am ready to put the work in for it. My talents, experience, and unique gifts are valuable. I trust in my abilities and embrace the growth that challenges bring. I am not limited by self-doubt; I am strengthened by my accomplishments and my journey. I belong here, and I am meant to thrive." Speaking Boldly
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