You Can’t Defeat Impostor Syndrome, but You Will Still Succeed
How I learned to coexist with it and kept publishing for 13 years.
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As I write this, I have to constantly push back against the whining of impostor syndrome:
“Who are you to teach this?”
“Someone already wrote about this. Probably better than you.”
“By the way, English isn’t even your first language. You can’t avoid embarrassing mistakes.”
I’ve been publishing for 13+ years: thousands of articles, podcasts, social media posts, videos, newsletters. They racked up millions of views, collected tens of thousands of subscribers, and sold courses, guides, and services.
Never enough to banish impostor syndrome.
It’s exhausting, it’s ugly. But, switching perspective, I feel grateful. I never stopped shipping, even in the face of this constant struggle.
After all these years, I realize creators can stop wasting time trying to get rid of impostor syndrome. We must learn to live with it and still thrive.
Here’s how I did it.
Impostor syndrome is a good sign (?!?)
Actually, there is a way to expel impostor syndrome from your life: never pursue anything worthwhile.
I feel like an impostor when I try to teach something, pitch my services, share my solution to a problem. Basically, every time I try to make a dent in the world.
I could find some low-paid, mindless job without responsibility and never feel impostor syndrome again. What a relief, huh?
What a nightmare! I wouldn’t be living anymore. I would be drifting.
Teaching, sharing ideas, selling is risky. People could not like it. You could be wrong! And you are responsible, you are making a promise.
Impostor syndrome tries to protect you from all of that.
It fools you. It turns your powerful creativity against yourself. It conjures images of danger where the worst that can happen is disappointment.
Anyway, you can’t beat the impostor syndrome
I’ve been hearing impostor syndrome’s voice since I can remember. It may be genetic. But I’m sure at least in part I learned it from my mom.
So, I read my fair share of tips to get rid of it. They didn’t work. But they taught me one thing: trying to eliminate impostor syndrome is a waste of time. Better learn to ignore it.
“Luckily”, every time you feel the sting of impostor syndrome, it’s an opportunity to train yourself to ignore it. And practice makes perfect!
I published thousands of pieces of content in the last 13 years. I sold ebooks and courses. I consulted with clients. I coached. I’ve been interviewed. I sang and played guitar with my bands dozens of times. I put in my repetitions.
I’ve not become cocky or reckless. I still use perfectionism to silence the impostor syndrome. But most of the times it doesn’t stop me.
You can change your relationship with impostor syndrome in 3 steps:
recognize it,
resize it,
reframe it.
(How beautiful it is that they all start with an “r”?)
Recognize: be aware of your impostor syndrome
If you’re not really aware of impostor syndrome, when it strikes, you just feel wrong, rationalize, and find ways to avoid the pain. For example, you drown yourself in busywork. Or convince yourself it’s not worth it.
The first step to interrupt this automatism is to learn to notice:
Be on the lookout in every situation where you are taking a risk (publishing content, performing something, providing services, selling, etc.),
Listen to your body. Do you feel tension, discomfort, pain?
Listen to your thoughts. Are you planning the best actions towards success? Or are you listing what can go wrong and the reasons you should avoid this?
Watch your actions. Are you procrastinating? Are you wasting time? Are you obsessing over the tiniest details?
Take note of these observations, possibly in writing. Remember, you’re battling your mind, which is trying to deceive you, mental notes are at its whim.
The simple act of writing things down will increase your awareness. If you also review them once in a while, you’ll memorize how impostor syndrome manifests.
Resize: you’re not special (I mean, as regards impostor syndrome!)
How many people search for impostor syndrome on Google each month?
What does this mean?
Millions of people are searching for solutions to this problem every year. Millions of sites offer their help. Not to mention all the books dealing with the problem.
If it were an easy problem, someone would have already solved it. So, be kind to yourself: it’s not your fault.
“But”, you say “all the successful people I admire must have overcome it. They keep showing up without hesitation.“
I believed the same. But then I started talking to other creators behind the scenes. I realized they had their doubts. They even had foundational problems keeping them up at night. But this didn’t stop them.
For example, I recently learned that “Write of Passage” is closing down. It’s a company built around one of the most presitigious online writing courses. It’s just 5 years old. They kept doing two cohorts every year, the testimonials were amazing, as was the hype. But for almost half of its life, the company struggled with acquisition and profitability. I don’t envy the founder.
Do you know what actually crosses the minds of the creators you admire? How long did they spend on every piece of content, ironing every insignificant wrinkle? How many drafts did they trash after hours of work?
Listen to in-depth podcast interviews with your heroes. The ones that reveal their darkest thoughts, fears, insecurities, past and present.
I know what you’ll find: the same exact doubts that are derailing you right now. A hefty dose of impostor syndrome.
How can this be useful? We give strength to impostor syndrome by thinking we’re the only ones suffering from it. Or that our case is more severe. If it weren't so strong, it wouldn't be an issue, correct?
When we realize we are sharing this burden with millions of others, it becomes lighter. And maybe those peers can help us and inspire us.
Reframe: from fear to freedom
We’ve seen that impostor syndrome is a self-defense mechanism. This already is a kind of reframing. Now that you know, you can assess the situation more objectively and realize there’s no real threat.
And there’s another constructive reframing. Impostor syndrome can be summarized into a single question “who am I to tell this to other people?” Maybe this means you care about your audience. You want to be as helpful as possible.
This feeling can transform the impostor syndrome from an obstacle to a force towards daily improvement. Just keep shipping and pushing to the edges of your comfort zone. Don’t lock your ideas in a closet until they feel perfect. They will never be.
Weakness = uniqueness
There’s a final reframing. It deserves special attention.
For years, I removed myself from my content. I created exceptional tutorials. Readers and viewers loved the clarity and generosity. But I recently learned this isn’t enough.
Your audience doesn’t want to follow a mythical creature free of any blemish. They want a real human, who is capable and determined but also has to struggle against his enemies.
I started sharing my doubts, my mistakes, my unfinished ideas. People appreciated.
Our weaknesses make us more relatable. They make people want to root for us.
So, turn the impostor syndrome into a point of contact with your audience. Share your uncertainty. Ask for feedback.
They’ll give invaluable information to improve your work. And they’ll feel closer to you.
Fighting the impostor syndrome: in practice
The single most impactful action you can do is this: keep shipping.
Stop perfecting content, pressured by the fear of failure. This is the trick: set a publishing schedule, respect it religiously.
Think like a journalist: the articles must be ready every day at a certain time. No one cares about the writer’s doubts.
The constant practice will force you to train your awareness, and will shove in your face the evidence that nothing really bad can happen.
Get strength from your past
Everything you publish shows how you’ve improved.
This article you’re reading was originally published a couple years ago. It got decent feedback. But I couldn’t resist rewriting large parts of it. I am a better writer now!
After a few months, go back to your oldest articles. You’ll see how your recent content is more successful and just better. A great boost to self-confidence and proof that you need to put yourself out there.
Your simple battle plan
So, let go of the struggle against impostor syndrome. Instead:
exploit your daily encounters with it to notice when it acts against you,
realize it’s not as bad as you think,
reframe it into something that can help you become a better creator.
I hope this helped.
What helps you against impostor syndrome?
Impostor syndrome is such a difficult thing to deal with, but so real. I've realised, we're all kind of "faking it" and we're all feeling the same way. Love your reframing tips.
And I was surprised by write of passage closing down too! It was on my bucket list of courses I wanted to do!
Imposter syndrome is real and shitty. I've been fighting it for a while. The problem for me is asking myself if anyone would read it. I'm learning that unless you make the effort you'll never know and I've found people who want to share my work. For that I'm grateful and it means I'm going to be trying to strive for more as I move forward. Sometimes a little positive reinforcement goes a ways