I’ve been consuming personal development & entrepreneurship content since before I became a solopreneur, which was 10 years ago.
As a certified coach & experienced marketer, there isn’t much that could surprise me anymore.
And even what surprises me rarely goes beyond surprise to the “OMG, this changes everything!” information file in my brain.
But Steven Bartlett just did it, and I have to share this with you.
Because we all think we’re not good enough.
Research shows imposter syndrome leads to poorer work performance and a higher chance of anxiety & depression, and I can absolutely confirm this.
Going back to retrace the mistakes I’ve made on my entrepreneurial journey, it’s clear most of them were due to imposter syndrome.
I quit my job way too early because—listen to this—I was successful at it. I was successful in a way I wasn’t ready to be successful, and I kept feeling afraid that I’d be “found out.” So, I quit to start a business. This is not to say I regret quitting; I just wouldn’t have done it the way I did.
My fear of being seen kept me hidden for years. I never used social media to my advantage; I never started an e-mail list. I ran from self-promotion like a vampire from garlic and justified it by saying that freelance platforms worked better.
I’ve been wasting my money for years because I didn’t feel good enough to have money. You know how sometimes you go on a shopping spree and max out your credit cards to make yourself feel good? That’s your imposter syndrome. When you don’t feel good enough, you need to prove to yourself and the world that you are good enough with silly material stuff. You’re missing out on the opportunity to save, invest, get out of debt, and buy freedom & long-lasting confidence instead of a momentary dopamine rush.
There’s so much more. I could keep writing this list, but it doesn’t feel great talking about all the things I’ve done wrong.
But Steven Bartlett says he looks for situations where he feels imposter syndrome.
Wait, what?
Yup, that’s right. I guess that’s why he’s Steven Bartlett, and I’m me.
The other day, I was scrolling through LinkedIn (by the way, I completely rediscovered and fell in love with this platform), and I stumbled upon a video of Steven Bartlett where he completely reframes imposter syndrome.
His reasoning goes like this: to grow, you need to step out of your comfort zone. When you step out of your comfort zone, you’re bound to feel uncomfortable. That’s why it’s called comfort zone, duh!
You’re bound to feel like: “What am I even doing here?” “What new can I say?” What can I add to this when people better than me have already contributed?”
But!
What if, instead of calling this “imposter syndrome,” you call it a “growth moment”?
It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
Because if your environment makes you feel like an imposter, then you can learn from it. You can’t really learn in your comfort zone. You can learn when you’re surrounded by people and circumstances that make you feel “less than.”
If you can learn, then you can grow.
If you can grow, good things can come out of this.
Which means it makes perfect sense to look for growth moments.
How this can change the way you operate.
Whatever you’ve been postponing because you don’t feel ready to do it, you can start doing it.
Self-promotion is not just allowed but encouraged. Growth moments, remember?
Reach out to people you admire with questions or asking for opportunities.
Ignore your fear of being seen and take advantage of social media by mastering & regularly posting on at least one platform.
For me, embracing that principle made me:
Start posting chapters of my novel online. Some literary agents discourage it & I’ve been using this as an excuse to keep my work to myself. The problem? I’m not finishing my work. I’ve signed up for critique groups, creative classes, accountability buddies, you name it. Nothing has worked. So now, I’m posting a chapter every week, hoping to get at least a few excited readers that will make me keep writing.
I’ve applied for a job I don’t think I can get. I’m not really looking for a job, either, but this is just a great opportunity to work for a huge name.
I keep sending out articles to Business Insider, Fast Company & Forbes on a regular basis.
What would you do differently if you were looking for growth moments instead of avoiding them?
Sending you a bottle of confidence,
Maya