How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome as an Entrepreneur

When it comes to imposter syndrome, let’s be honest here. It does affect everyone at some point. But how you work through those feelings is what allows you to learn from those feelings. There are some strategies and lessons on how to overcome imposter syndrome that truly help you as an entrepreneur.

Just like working through business challenges of product launches, technical issues, and growing your audience, there are steps you can take so that you work through these feelings. 

The critical thing to remember – you are not alone. As an entrepreneur, digital or otherwise, we all are navigating these waters together. You just need to remember you have a network of friends, resources, and supporters along the way. This is only one piece to overcoming imposter syndrome.

Let’s further dig into five ways to help overcome imposter syndrome as an entrepreneur.

 

Acknowledge your Feelings

Embrace your feelings. They are valid. We all have moments of insecurity, lack of clarity, and worries regarding our businesses. It is the right of passage as an entrepreneur; it is how you handle these feelings that make the difference.

Imposter syndrome is genuinely just your ego coming to the top. It is the voice to your need to keep yourself safe when making strides as a business owner. When it comes to thoughts of growth or nearing your business’s next level, often imposter syndrome sneaks up. Know your truth. There is nothing to worry about. Reassure yourself that you know what you are doing for yourself, your family, and your business at all times.

 

Understand what might have triggered these feelings

As mentioned before, often, these feelings show up when you are getting to uplevel in your goals and/or business. Know what might have triggered it – was it an Instagram post from a competitor who had issues doing a similar launch. Know that not all successes didn’t come with some lessons to be learned – it’s how you implement those lessons that will ensure you and your success. This will allow you to appreciate the process and enable you to share in the success and failures – this is how you grow as a business owner and as a person.

 

Support network needs

You need a network – like raising a child, it takes a village to grow your business. Be this a group of like-minded business owners, your best friends, or your partner – you need the support network behind you as you work through these feelings and situations.

Make sure you reach out – for you might not know someone else could be struggling in the same way, and you could become each other’s cheerleader.

 

 

Goal Setting and Vision Boards

There are many ideas to help when it comes to imposter syndrome, but a couple that keeps coming up in research is to make sure you have goals written down somewhere, and if you need more visualization, why not create a vision board. 

Creating goals and (possibly) having a vision board (an empowering vision board would be an excellent way to think about it) allows you to maintain the overall big picture of what you are doing. It allows you the chance to not dwell on the small things. These small steps will take you to the big picture goals you have for your business and personal life.

 

Practice makes permanent, not perfect.

We all have heard the saying “Practice makes perfect,” but maybe we should be looking at this differently when it comes to imposter syndrome and being a business owner. 

Maybe we should be looking at it like “practice makes permanent.” With each day, if we practice what we implement, practice mindset/self-care, and practice patience, we might just reduce the effects that imposter syndrome might incur.

 

 

Final Thoughts on Imposter Syndrome

As mentioned before, imposter syndrome does affect many if not all business owners at one time or another. By taking steps to overcome these issues, you create a means to overcome them, but you could create a network of entrepreneurs with you supporting one another and navigate this (at times) stressful but rewarding path.

What other ways do you find that help you overcome imposter syndrome? I would love to hear in the comments below so that maybe I could implement them myself or share them out there so we all can support one another!