When will they find out I can’t do this job? Who am I to be teaching or leading others in this space? Who do I think I am to be taking on this project? Hi everyone and welcome to this week’s episode of Your Freedom Unlimited with me Jen Ramsey. I am so pleased you are here.

These questions are just some of the questions that incredibly high-achieving women have asked me. These are women running successful businesses or in senior corporate leadership roles. They are all amazing at what they do but all are suffering serious cases of imposter syndrome.

It’s time we have a serious conversation about this debilitating phenomena we call Imposter syndrome and what we can actually do about it.

So What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is that voice that we hear in our head that says we’ve only succeeded due to luck rather than our capability or our talents are qualifications. It also makes us feel we are not good enough. It is a deep fear that someone is going to find out soon that we cannot do what we said we would do. It is that second-guessing that we do of ourselves and the decisions we make.

It’s incredibly undermining and it is incredibly common. Research in the International Journal of Behavioural Science shows that an estimated 70% of people will experience some feeling of imposter syndrome at some time in their lives.

Imposter Syndrome was first identified by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978. What’s really interesting is that the literature has can continued on since then and found it affects many people and occurs as a result of our personality type. (Perfectionists like me raise your hand!) The other factors are also our circumstances and conditioning growing up. Here we’re talking about the situations we were in and the things that people said or didn’t say as we were growing up.

Imposter syndrome is something that we are all susceptible to and can affect so many of us at different times of our lives. It doesn’t matter who we are, whether we’ve achieved a lot or whether we are just starting out, whether we are young, or whether we are old. It can strike at any time. 

In fact I’ve noticed it impacting people as they advanced in their business or career. It seems it actually becomes more of an issue as we get older and reach a threshold in terms of role or earning capacity that exceeded the level that perhaps their parents did not reach.

Imposter Syndrome Keeps Us Playing Small

We must deal with imposter syndrome. In my view is one of the big things that keeps us playing small. It is debilitating. It keeps our voice small – it stops us from sharing a knowledge and value. It also stops us from fulfilling our purpose and our goals for our businesses or careers. It can stop us from helping those we who most need our help. 

It keeps out of alignment and away for inspiration and it stops us from feeling personally fulfilled. It’s really vital that we do something about it.

Imposter Syndrome How Do We Fix It?

imposter syndrome is absolutely possible to fix in my view. It does take time but it is doable. Here are some key steps:

Step #1 – Realise Fixing Imposter Syndrome is an Inside Job

One of the first steps in dealing with imposter syndrome is to be aware that it actually is a thing. Next we need to realise fixing imposter syndrome is an inside job. It is something that we need to work on the inside. It is not something that will be fixed by doing another training course or getting another job or doing something externally to try and fix it. This situation requires us to go inside and to further develop our relationship with ourselves to really understand that what we’re saying and doing to ourselves is having a negative impact.

Step #2 – Be Aware of the Imposter Syndrome Voice – Take Note of the Negative Stories You Tell Yourself

Next we must start taking note of the specific negative stories that we are telling ourselves. These are the stories that are on constant autopilot and on rotation in your head. We need to make the unconscious conscious and move from being on autopilot into conscious awareness of our thoughts. These are the negative stories that can really really impact our self-confidence and self-worth.

Step #3: Turn the Negative Stories Around – Create a New Story

Now we need to turn those negative stories around as soon as possible. We need to recognise the limiting beliefs that are a part of those stories and address them. It is absolutely possible to do this. We need to create a new story or script in our heads and we need to run that script just as regularly as we ran the old negative stories.

Step #4: Value Yourself Deeply – Understand Your Worth 

Take some time out to really value yourself deeply. This is a time for deep introspection. To take your journal and a pen and hand-write everything you’ve achieved so far in your life. Value who you are, what you’ve done how far you travelled in your life so far. Have gratitude for who you are right here and right now.

It is time for you to start preparing some evidence some positive evidence for your value and for your worth in the world. This is something you may wish to go back to childhood to do and note every single element about you that is worthy.

Step #5 – Value Yourself Daily 

A daily practice of reminding yourself of your value is a critical step in creating a new neural pathway in your brain. This can be done as part of your morning routine. Every morning focus on your achievements and note what it is you have done in the past 24 hours that has made a difference to you or others in your life. 

Step #6 – Stay in Your Lane

The next step is to completely stay in your lane and drop any comparisonitis with what other people are doing, their qualifications, their roles or the success that they’ve had. There is no value in comparisonitis – it is a quick road to the bottom.

Instead of focusing on others focus on understanding and acknowledging your own achievements and your own capability. Realise that you are absolutely valuable and worthy exactly as you are right now. The next part of this is understanding there is an abundance for everybody. We can sometimes shift into competition and comparisonitis when we are in a lack mentality. The biggest mindset shift here is to make is it there is an abundance for everybody.

Step #7 – Step into your power

The best thing that you could do for yourself and dealing with imposter syndrome is to really make a decision to step into your innate power and your innate value and worth as a human being. This is something that is a decision that you make and then live on a daily basis. 

Stepping into my power has made all the difference to my life – my relationships, business, health and finances are all completely different as a result of this decision. I no longer worry what others think of me as I go about my business instead I am more open and aligned with myself and my life.  I am achieving far greater things now that I’ve stepped into my power. I’ve realised this is the opposite of imposter syndrome. It is about living from a place within myself where I am fully clear about who I am and how I’m best able to serve others in my life.

 Over to you 

As ever in this podcast I want to hand the steps over to you for you to consider how you can deal with imposter syndrome in your life. if you are struggling in this area please read this blog or listen to this podcast again. These are the exact steps that will help you deal with it.

If you feel you need more help join my new group coaching called Unlimited in April. In Unlimited I will take you through the exact steps I have explained here today in this podcast. I’ll show you exactly how to move from feeling limited and playing small in your life through feeling powerful, worthy and strong within yourself.

If you are ready to step into your power and worth and find your voice and share it with the world Unlimited is for you. For more information please DM on Instagram @jenramseyfreedom or email me at hello@jenramsey.com. I’d love to share this transformational program with you.

Until we speak again all the very best to you.

Love

Jen xoxo

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