I wanted to share my process for overcoming imposter syndrome.
Throughout my life, I’ve encountered situations, problems and roles in which I have little to no experience. This led to narratives forming in my head that I do not belong because of my age or abilities, which resulted in poor work performance, deteriorating relationships and lots of sleepless nights.
As I’ve grown, I have developed a framework to combat imposter syndrome. The goal should never be to remove it but rather leverage it, to propel you forward, keeping you humble and hungry.
Through lots of mentorship and reflection I’ve developed the following steps:
1) Rewire my thinking - I have had to detach my confidence and worth from being tied to having the answer and years of experience or being the expert. Instead, my value is rooted in my ability to learn, grow, and find the answers. To put it plainly, I do not need to have the answers—I need to be able to find the answers.
2) Break it down - Often, when something seems overwhelming or unknown it is because we are looking at it as one large, insurmountable challenge, when in reality it’s a series of decisions or a group of problems. A lot of us spin out because we are trying to solve everything simultaneously. Breaking it down into small, clear decisions or steps reduces cognitive load and boosts confidence.
3) Take inventory - I start a document and ask myself, “In order to properly solve this, what do I need to know?” These “open questions” documents have done wonders to help me identify what answers I need, whom to talk to, and what my steps should be. My confidence compounds as I get answers and drop them in the document.
4) Reflect - This happens at both a micro and macro level. In the middle of a problem, I do micro-reflections on the progress I have made, hurdles I have overcome, and things I have learned. This subconsciously builds confidence as I work through a problem. When I complete or make significant progress, I reflect at a macro level on what I learned through the process, what I would do differently, and how this contributed to my overall growth in a given area. This helps reinforce lessons learned and recognize patterns next time, reducing the depth at which imposter syndrome can take root.
This model has helped me repeatedly over the past several years and is one of the first things I walk team members and young founders through. Imposter syndrome is a very human condition that, if leveraged correctly, can spur growth and confidence.
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