3 Subtle Ways Imposter Syndrome Might Be Holding You Back

Ev Chapman
April 19, 2022
2 min read

All the normal indicators would suggest I don't suffer from Imposter Syndrome...

I don't have a fear of putting my ideas out there, I'm OK to make mistakes publicly & even change my mind on occasion. And I certainly don't suffer from perfectionism in any way.

But there are more subtle, sinister signs of imposter syndrome that could be holding you back.

You Feel Like It's Just Dumb Luck. It's always the tweet we didn't put much effort into that resonated. Or we just had a burst of people follow us for some unknown reason. In reality, this kind of 'dumb luck' can only happen when you're in the arena taking shots on goal. So keep playing the game.

It Feels Too Easy. We are wired to think that good things are hard. So when something feels easy to do, or easy to be consistent at. We think it must be wrong. We think we're doing something wrong. But in actual fact, what's probably happened is that you've slipped into your flow. And wouldn't you flow in the river than have to climb the mountain?

You don't recognise your own growth. If I'm being honest I still feel like that girl who showed up on day 1 with no clue and less than 500 followers. Often it takes us longer to recognise how far we have come than others around us. Stop and celebrate milestones as a way to see you've come a long way since your day 1 self.

Don't let the subtleties of Imposter Syndrome sneak up on you and cause you to shrink back. If you are in the arena, you're not an imposter.

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