10 Steps to Transforming an Imposter Mindset into Growth

Imposter syndrome is insidious. It can slide in and make itself quietly at home. Some days it’s alive and knocking us back, and other days it’s out to lunch, bugging someone else. So, one thing we have to accept is that it will come back: we just need to know how to deal with it.

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You’ve probably heard of imposter syndrome (or imposter complex), and you may feel the prickle of its sharp fingernails. But maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re unaware that it could be holding you back.

It’s the inner voice that whispers, “I’m not ready for BWY training yet,” or ‘I’m not supposed to be in front of all these students,” or “My success is a house of cards – any minute now they’ll see I’m a fraud.”

Many of the great and the good say they’ve suffered from it: Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, rock stars and politicians alike. John Lennon said, “Part of me suspects that I'm a loser, and the other part of me thinks I'm God Almighty.”

Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes identified the phenomenon in the 1970s and have written extensively on it. They saw it in their university students, and initially felt it was more prevalent in high-achieving women. It’s since been seen across all genders, races and ages.

What are the warning signs?

In some areas of our lives, we know we’re acing it. You love to cook, and friends relish coming to yours. In the gym or pumping the Tarmac, you know your stuff; before you were promoted, work was easy.

But in other areas, you want to curl up and shrink into the carpet because you’ll get called out as a fraud and oh! the shame.

Here are some of the signs you might be a victim of imposter syndrome.

Do you over-prepare for everything – check and re-check constantly, and then worry you’ve missed something vital? Do you find yourself constantly pointing out your perceived flaws and inadequacies before someone else does? Do you apologise a lot, even when it’s not your fault? Are you heavily self-critical?

We all have good days and bad days, so imposter syndrome isn’t something fixed in one aspect of our lives all the time. Sometimes you can high-five the woman in the mirror, and sometimes you just want to give her a hug and commiserate.

Imposter syndrome stifles dreams.

Perhaps you want to take what you’re good at, scale it and open a studio, or simply lean into it and enjoy it more. Conversations with yourself or your bestie might go along these lines:

“I know what good form looks like and how to get the most from a yoga session, but I couldn’t teach anyone.”

“I can cook for family and friends, and they love it, but I’d never do Bake Off.”

“Why did they promote me? I can’t do this. They’ll find out I’m no good, and I’ll get sacked.”

How many ideas have you sat on, how many promotions have you passed up, how many courses have you passed by because you didn’t feel you were good/ready/old/young enough for?

How to beat it.

Imposter syndrome is insidious. It can slide in and make itself quietly at home. Some days it’s alive and knocking us back, and other days it’s out to lunch, bugging someone else. So, one thing we have to accept is that it will come back: we just need to know how to deal with it.

Tanya Giesler is a Canadian Leadership Coach. She specialises in helping people get past their imposter selves and into living a more opportunity-filled life. She recommends a 10-step process for getting past it.

Step 1: ‘Decide to Strive’ – simply decide to deal with feeling like a fraud and imagine life without it and with the confidence to deal with it.

Step 2: ‘Beratement Boot camp’ – write out all the reasons you think you’ll never be an authority: point out the extremities that aren’t realistic; point out what’s real; point out what’s imagined that keeps you from progress.

Step 3: Bolster your authority thesis – what you know, what you’ve done, what you’ve written, what you’ve achieved etc. Remind yourself about the good things others have said/written about/to you, other accomplishments etc.

Step 4: ‘Call in the reserves’ – these are the people you want in your life who want you to succeed; allow them to do this and release those who don’t.

Step 5: ‘Jump’ – remind yourself of all the work you’ve done so far and live as if you had the confidence. Be that person.

Step 6: Do the work you love in your own way, without worrying about others are doing.

Step 7: Geisler says this is less of a step and more a way of being: Allow – allow life to happen and be aware of the choices you make when obstacles block the path to success. You can revisit the previous steps in order to move past them.

Step 8: Choose to stay on the path to success and understand that we don’t get rid of the desire to quit or turn away.

Step 9: Look up your markers – check how far you’ve come so far.

Step 10: Celebrate! In any way you feel is best.

Once you’ve got steps one, three and four mastered, you’ll have tools to help when the imposter sneaks in again.

Only you can do it.

Becoming aware of how imposter syndrome shapes your choices, language and way of being comes even before Geisler’s step one. Ask a trusted friend – probably one of your cheerleaders from step four, above - for feedback on how they see you and where you can get stronger. These people can often see what you can’t.

To live the life we want, we need to be able to stand and deal. It’s not easy, but it is worth it.