Follow these 8 steps to regain your confidence and achieve your full potential.

The 8 Step Guide to Eliminating Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome

Overcoming the Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back in Work and Life

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

“Imposter syndrome isn’t a unique experience, it’s a shared one. The less we talk about it, the more power it has over us.” ~ (the legend that is) Amanda Palmer

Ah, imposter syndrome.

• Self-doubt.
• Inadequacy.
• Fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of success.

Even the most successful people in the world can get imposter syndrome.

The notion that imposter syndrome disappears once you reach a certain level of achievement is a myth.

It can persist even after you have ‘made it’.

Image from Biographics World

“No matter what we’ve done, there comes a point where you think, ‘How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?’ “ ~ Tom Hanks in an interview with NPR

And come on — that’s Tom Hanks.

Feeling like you don’t deserve success, or are somehow unworthy of it, whether you’ve achieved it on some scale yet or not, is unbelievably common.

This feeling can be particularly pronounced for people who come from modest backgrounds and have worked hard to achieve success.

So, It’s Not Just Me?

It’s so much more common than you might think.

Surveys conducted by Stacey MacNaught and posted on Micro Biz Mag last year, resulted in these findings:

- 39% of the UK population experiences days when they feel bad at their jobs at least weekly

- For 1 in 20, this is a daily experience

- Searches in Google UK for “imposter syndrome,” have risen by 511% since 2016

So, no — it’s not just you.

But, like a fine wine…

It Gets Better With Age

Photo by Jaddy Liu on Unsplash

Indeed’s Working on Wellbeing report in 2022 shows that only 3% of workers aged 65 and above regularly suffer from feelings of self-doubt, which tells us that self-doubt and imposter syndrome can decrease with age.

Why?

Well, the older people get, they may:

• become more comfortable with themselves and their achievements.
• have a greater sense of perspective.
• worry less about what others think of them.
• have more experience and a track record of success (which can boost confidence and reduce feelings of inadequacy).
• have a stronger sense of their own identity and values.
• have developed coping mechanisms and strategies to manage self-doubt and imposter syndrome over time.

So, that at least should cover how to combat imposter syndrome and self-doubt eventually.

So… Just wait until I’m 65 and I should feel better?

No.

Defeating these traits early will help us to lead more productive lives with more confidence. And if you’re over 65 and in that 3%, what are you supposed to do?

We can use the findings and thoughts above to figure out a way of combating these feelings now.

Here’s the 8 steps that work for me.

The 8 Step Guide to Eliminating Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome

1. Recognize that imposter syndrome is a common experience - you are NOT alone in feeling this way.
2. Focus on your strengths and accomplishments — NOT your perceived failures and shortcomings. (e.g. So, nobody read your article? Okay, but LOOK — you wrote an article!)
3. Separate your sense of self-worth from your job or achievements. You are more than these things. These things are a part of you, you are not a part of them.
4. Seek out mentors or support networks who can offer guidance and a\encouragement, and who can share their own experiences with imposter syndrome or self-doubt.
5. Practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself. Nothing good comes from constantly criticising or comparing yourself to others. Constructive criticism = Good. Malicious criticism = Bad.
6. Develop healthy coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety, such as exercise, meditation, or creative pursuits. Whichever works best for you. Full disclosure — mine is anxiety medication! Hey, whatever works, am-I-right?
7. Challenge negative thoughts and beliefs by questioning their validity and looking for evidence to support more positive or realistic thoughts.
8. Seek out opportunities for learning and growth in order to help you build your confidence and skills.

Following these 8 steps should help you to combat the feelings associated with self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

Remember that imposter syndrome is a feeling, not a fact.

Watch me talk about this here:

If you found this article helpful, you may also like:

7 Books I Read in ’22 that Helped Me Build Wealth, Create Value, and Embrace Fear

How Embracing Failure Can Help You Appreciate Life’s Real Successes

Unlock Your Writing’s Potential: The Crucial Role of Feedback