War Against Imposter Syndrome
My mantra for 2023 is War Against Imposter Syndrome aka WAIS.
I know you’re wondering why or how did I come about this, right? Even, though I don’t know how, all I know is that I am taking the bull by its horn and discarding it because it’s a stumbling block. Oh yes, that’s what I’m doing with IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
According to HBR, Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.
For someone who wrote long-form content on how to avoid imposter syndrome last year for a blog, you would expect that I had gotten an edge over it. Well, I thought I did, only for me to realize that I did not. Now I remember the words of someone,
Imposter syndrome is no respecter of person or years of experience, it creeps on you when you least expect.
It’s a little wonder how something as little as this could determine the next step in your career or even if you will grow at all in all spheres.
A short story...
In November 2022, I applied to the ADP list as a mentor after researching and observing that it’s an effective platform for mentoring. I had clearly forgotten that I applied, and when I got the email, it took a while for me to remember what it was about.
I didn’t think I was going to get in. I would have said the application review was automatic so I probably got in by luck, but again, the auto review must have had some requirement so I must have indeed passed the requirement. shame on you imposter syndrome
After I got the email, my next action was to delay setting up my calendar because I didn’t believe that there would be people who will be interested in learning from me. Between November and the last week in December, I had completely forgotten that I had an ADP list account until I saw Adebola Williams’s tweet about the mentorship session she had.
That was my go-back trigger. I went back and scheduled my calendar. A few hours after, I got my first booking. Ah, are you guys serious? do I look like someone that has sense like that for you to want to learn from me 😂 😂
Sometimes Imposter syndrome can look like self-sabotage. Nobody is calling you out, but you are telling yourself that you are not capable of doing this for no reason. Trust me when it happens, you have the tendency to forget the success you’ve recorded so far.
For example, I got a gig and it took the holy spirit to convince me to pick it up and get the job done. I almost bailed out, but guess what, I got the brand to its first thousand followers in less than 1 month( not from scratch though).
Back to the ADP list gist, In less than 48 hours, I got 4 bookings. I had my first session some days ago, and it further made me understand that we lose many opportunities we do not take. Yes, I thought I didn’t have anything to give but the people I’ve spoken to during the mentorship session have said otherwise.
I may not have as much knowledge as I believe I should have, but there are people out there who do not have access to the knowledge I have. Meanwhile, I won’t sit back with the knowledge I have, I am taking a step further to acquire further knowledge not because I want to prove anything to anyone or anything, but because I need to keep growing and getting better.
Like the bible says, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. My solution to imposter syndrome is to resist it when it comes.
How?
- Document your success and failures.
- Surround yourself with people who have gone ahead and people who seem to be in the same lane as you.
- Keep learning and growing.
- Do it, even if you’re afraid
I hope you don’t forget that nobody has it all figured out, every individual is taking it one step at a time. So don’t be mad at yourself for long, it’s a phase and you will definitely come out of it.
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