Overcome Imposter Syndrome: How You Can Harness Your Strength and Confidence to Pursue Your Passion and Purpose

Have you ever felt this strange pull between being successful and confident, knowing your skills and achievements are rock solid, and also feeling so strangely out of place questioning whether or not you really deserve to be in charge of that new project, the leader and organizer of an entire department, a plausible candidate for that promotion, or even negotiating your salary? How dare you. 

Welcome! You have imposter syndrome. 

Many women, especially those who are ambitious and driven often experience imposter syndrome. This feeling you can’t shake keeps you from getting out of your own way. Overcoming self-doubt and confidently pursuing what you love is how you get yourself back in the driver’s seat with both hands on the wheel. 

Understanding Imposter Syndrome

We’ve all been personally victimized by imposter syndrome regardless of our level of success.

It creates this sneaky yet powerful fear of being discovered as a “fraud” causing you to question your quite literal accomplishments hanging on your wall and the acknowledgements you’ve received in your inbox that you hesitantly shared with your boss. For instance, the International Journal of Behavioral Science reports that an estimated 70% of people experience this phenomenon at some point. It is crucial to remember you are not alone in this, which means if we are all feeling this way, we are not all incompetent women. We just have some faulty thinking happening up there with all of our other insecurities. Go figure. 

Feeling isolated and doubting your worth can be overwhelming and exhausting, especially when you constantly strive for perfection or another level of “success”.

The Cost of Self-Judgment

Let’s call it what it is. You are subconsciously denying yourself a potentially more lucrative income when your imposter syndrome stops you from taking the spotlight. Whether you talk yourself out of applying for a new job or you don’t think you have enough experience to ask your boss for more projects that would demonstrate your worth, you’re minimizing your value, quite literally and financially. 

You may compare yourself to others thinking they are more qualified, more outgoing, a better communicator, more relatable etc. This lowers your self-esteem, and according to a study by the American Psychological Association, individuals who engage in social comparisons are more likely to experience feelings of inadequacy. 

Every moment spent hemming and hawing (if you haven’t read the book “Who Moved My Cheese”, I highly recommend it), you are losing an opportunity to shine outward and inward. A new perspective can lead to a remarkable shift. I love a solid reframe. For example, instead of saying “I’m not good enough”, you can reframe it, “I have a good foundation and every experience builds my knowledge.”

Building Self-Confidence

Boosting self-confidence is a continuous process requiring small, deliberate actions. 

• Celebrate Your Wins: Brene Brown talks about “small victories” in her book Daring Greatly. We are so quick to dismiss the little moments, only focusing on massive achievements. Hello, massive achievements come from tons of small victories. 

• Affirmations: Affirmations work when they challenge our core beliefs, and they are daily challenges and reminders as well. One of my affirmations is actually the beginning of my favorite quote by Teddy Roosevelt. “It’s not the critic who counts”... This is my mental signal that just the mere fact that I’m showing up is success. 

• Visualize Your Next Best Step: People always say visualize success. Well, that feels hard when we don’t always know what we want that to look like. It seems too big to dream and then that big dream feels unattainable. Instead, I want you to imagine overcoming the challenges of the next best step. Imagine yourself confidently navigating what that mindset feels like, what those actions look like, what that support looks like. How are you dressed? What are you saying? How are you feeling?

  
  
  
  

Advocating for Yourself

Self-advocacy is one of my pillars of all things confidence. "I am woman, hear me roar".

If you are not fangirling on yourself, who will? As women we are taught to be “humble”, “quiet”, “reserved”. Well, humility doesn’t mean not vocalizing your worth, and the other two are not my cup of tea. Here are a few strategies to strengthen your self-advocacy: 

1. Communicate clearly. I kid you not, go awkwardly talking to myself on social media stories and reels has taught me a whole lot about the need to practice confident communication. Get yourself in front of a camera and record to level set how confidently you speak your mind. Research suggests that individuals who articulate their ideas effectively are more likely to be recognized for their contributions. Go get em’ girls.

2. Seek Feedback: Criticism used to feel so scary to me. I would hold my breath with dread to hear all the things I did wrong. I could feel my face flush and my stomach knot up even if it was “constructive”. My more mature self now seeks every opportunity to improve and I embrace it with open arms. It can open the doors to clarity and more confidence. According to Forbes, seeking feedback can reveal strengths you may seemingly overlook. That was the EXACT point of my 10 minute free training and Empowerment Assessment. Both Forbes and I agree that feedback can provide valuable insight into how others perceive you.

3. Set Boundaries: You will not have the mental space to reassess your value and strengths if you are constantly deprioritizing yourself. Learning to say “no” even gives your self-respect a few bumps up.

   
   

Cultivating Self-Trust

This is another shameless plug for my mini training on how to Activate Your Career Strengths. When you trust yourself implicitly, you swing the doors wide open to taking risks and seizing opportunities. 

Take action now by watching this short training about how to identify your strengths, test your self-trust, and evaluate the weight you put into your gut instincts. 

Confronting Fear of Judgment

Half the time we are so afraid of others’ opinions of us that we don’t realize we are really more afraid of our judgments of ourselves so we don’t put ourselves out there. 

The fear of judgment can hinder your progress. Here are ways to directly confront this fear:

• Shift Your Perspective: Reframe judgment as a chance for growth. Feedback can offer insights that enhance your skills. A survey by Gallup found that receiving regular feedback can increase employee engagement by up to 14%.

  
  

• Embrace Vulnerability: Being open about insecurities can foster deeper connections with others. Authenticity strengthens relationships and creates a trusting environment.

  
  

• Focus On Your Journey: Concentrate on your own path rather than comparing it to others. Each person's experiences are unique, which shapes their journey.

  
  

Taking Action Forward

Objects in motion stay in motion. Action is one of the most empowering ways to overcome imposter syndrome. Starting small is completely acceptable and honestly, advised. Each step forward builds your confidence to take the next best step. 

Creating an action plan with specific achievable goals can provide structure. My Empowerment & Self-Trust Assessment gives you practical and actionable steps to create “small victories”  by breaking your larger goals into smaller more manageable tasks. They are an instant confidence boost.

Embracing Your True Potential

Recognize that you are stronger than your self-doubt. Moving past imposter syndrome is a journey worth taking. Every woman deserves to acknowledge her worth and pursue her passions.

Lean into your individuality and harness your strengths to navigate life with confidence. By adopting practices that foster self-awareness and resilience, you can quiet that critical inner voice and step boldly into your aspirations.

Overcoming imposter syndrome is not just about silencing fears. It's about unlocking your authentic self and letting it shine. Take the necessary actions required to pursue what genuinely fulfills you. The world is ready to embrace your unique gifts.

As you begin this journey, remember: You are enough, you are capable, and now is the time for action. Start your journey today!