5-Steps to Crush Imposter Syndrome

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"I was lucky"

"I'm not good enough"

Does this sound familiar? If you're building online it's normal to like an imposter. I've been there myself. 

Imposter Syndrome is when you're scared of being exposed as a fraud.

(according to the US National Institute of Health +70% of people suffer from imposter syndrome at some point in their life).

Here is the good news though: 

• Imposter syndrome is a sign that you are developing.
• You can defeat imposter syndrome for good. 

Not to worry though, I've put together a step-by-step guide to help you overcome imposter syndrome: 

Step 1 -  Figure Out Your Type of Imposter Syndrome

You'll need to figure out which type of imposter applies to you :

1. The Genius: You master skills easily & feel ashamed when its hard.
2. The Expert: You can't execute without knowing everything.
3. The perfectionists: You set unrealistic expectations.
4. The superhero: The "I must be a workaholic".
5. The soloist: You fear asking for help.

→ Identity which of the above 5 imposters is relevant to you (it can be more than one).

Step 2 - Learn About These Two Biases

Now, in order to think clearly about imposter syndrome you need to learn about:

• Confirmation Bias: The tendency to interpret information that matches your beliefs
• Dunning-Kruger Effect: Skilled individuals underestimate their relative ability

→ Understanding the above mental models will help you think clearly next time you feel like an imposter.

Remember it's all about managing both your thoughts and emotions.

Step 3 - Note Down Your Achievements

You have a couple of options to go about this:

• Create a swipe file/folder.
• Note down your achievements & testimonials.
• Ask others to recall some of your past achievements.

→ Whenever you know you are feeling like an imposter, use any of the above tactics to remind yourself of your abilities.

Step 4 - Identify Your Superpowers

Everyone has special skills, for example:

• I excel at bringing people together.
• I can easily distill complex ideas.
• I make killer shrimp tacos 🍤.

→ Identify your special skills/superpowers & document them.

Step 5 -  Become an Iterator

JK Rowling's Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times, and Thomas Edison documented +10,000 failures before achieving success.

By reminding yourself that failures are just steps on your way toward success, you adopt a mindset of an iterator.

Iterators understand that failing more than others is their guaranteed way to win. 

Here's a quick recap on how to crush imposter syndrome:

1. Understand what type of imposter you are.
2. Learn about confirmation bias & DK effect.
3. Write down your achievements.
4. Identify your superpowers.
5. Become an Iterator.

Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. Grow your audience and customer base faster by promoting your business to +8,000 Founders and Creators. Sponsor a weekly edition of Growth Tribe.
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