MADELIFE
L’OREAL THOMPSON PAYTON
Writer, Speaker & Career Coach
@ltinthecity
WHEN IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
IS REAL…
Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt
like a fraud…if you’ve ever thought
to yourself, “I have no idea what I’m
doing, they’re going to figure me out!”
You can’t see me, but I’m raising
both hands. The struggle of impostor
syndrome is real.
First defined in the 1970s by clinical
psychologists Pauline Clance and
Suzanne Imes, the term impostor
syndrome is described as “the
phoniness in people who believe
that they are not intelligent, capable
or creative despite evidence of high
achievement.”
And while I’m not sure if it ever quite
goes away completely, I’ve developed a
few go-to tricks for stopping impostor
syndrome in its tracks.
Start a brag book
Whenever I’m feeling down and out and
start doubting my awesomeness, I refer
to my “brag book.” It’s a physical list of
accomplishments, both personal and
professional. Fun fact: it’s pretty hard
for your brain to focus on a positive
AND a negative thought at the same
time. So filling my mental space with
good thoughts and compliments from
friends, family and coworkers helps me
feel like the badass I know I am.
Breakup with your inner critic
Have you heard the way you talk to
yourself lately? My guess is that it’s not
necessarily full of love and good vibes.
Ask yourself this question: would you
talk to a friend like that? Assuming the
answer is “no,” do yourself a favor: ditch
the negative self-talk and replace it with
self-compassion.
Trust your dopeness
Once you’ve bid adieu to your inner
critic, it’s time to develop a more mindful
mantra. My favorite is “trust your
dopeness.” I call it to mind whenever I
begin comparing myself to other bloggers
and influencers and their success. I
remind myself that one else is me and
that is my magic, my gift to the world.
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