If you have ever started building a personal brand, creating content online, or doing anything worthwhile, it's almost impossible not to have ever experienced imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome is what you have when you doubt yourself about your skills, knowledge, and accomplishments, even if you know what you're talking about, and you deserve every good thing that comes your way.
Imposter Syndrome can also push people not to start doing what they're good at and remain on the sidelines, thinking about perfecting their craft that will never be released publicly.
Table of Contents
- My Imposter Syndrome Story
- Why I Experienced Imposter Syndrome
- What I Did To Overcome My Imposter Syndrome
- 1. I accepted that I was writing for myself first and for the audience second.
- 2. I settled with good enough.
- 3. I accepted the possibility of rejection.
- 4. I listened to constructive feedback more.
- 5. I stopped trying to be an expert.
- 6. I continued working and improving my craft.
- 7. I realized that Imposter Syndrome is normal.
- Final Thought:
My Imposter Syndrome Story
When I started writing online about my journey in the rat race in 2017, I was full of self-doubt.
I was so embarrassed to let others know about my blog because I was unsure if what I was saying was correct and proper or if my subjects and verbs even agreed.
I would usually send my work to a few people under the disguise that it's not me, and it's from an anonymous blogger, which, up to this day, is an insider joke among my blog's first subscribers.
I would also ask my sister to proofread and edit my work before publishing because I feared rejection and negative criticism.
It took another two years of hiatus and a pandemic before I retrieved the dusty box somewhere in my head to write about ratracerunning.com, and as they say, the rest is history.
As time passed and I gained more experience, knowledge, and confidence, I finally acquired the courage to share my work online, create a brand Facebook page, and own everything I do.
Why I Experienced Imposter Syndrome
Here are some of my experiences fighting with my imposter syndrome.
1. I wanted perfection.
As a newbie writer with no formal writing training, I knew my writing and grammar skills needed refining because of the lack of experience and practice.
I wanted to write as perfectly and error-free as possible because I thought other online writers' outputs were perfect before they put their work out in the open.
2. I was afraid of rejection.
I knew that the Internet is an unforgiving place and will easily reject and cancel you for even the slightest of mistakes.
I also feared posting under my name online because I didn't want to be rejected or laughed at.
During that time, I was very insecure. I just wanted to be as private as possible while journaling my running journey.
3. I felt like I don't deserve to share my thoughts online.
When I started this blog, it was about the physical act of running, not the metaphorical running away from the rat race.
I was so into running during that time that I believe that before I can write, I must be a decorated runner first to be credible.
I felt like other people deserved the limelight over me.
I believed that the people I followed online already wrote everything I wanted to write, so there was no point in adding another website into the mix.
Some are already experts who don't want to write online, so if the more deserving people are not writing, then why should I?
5. I thought I needed a mentor or formal training before I could start.
I am an engineer by profession and trade, so I never had undergraduate training in writing.
I thought that before I could write, I should have mastered writing and grammatical rules and undergone formal writing training.
What I Did To Overcome My Imposter Syndrome
1. I accepted that I was writing for myself first and for the audience second.
The first thing I changed is my mindset about writing and sharing online. I changed how I think - from someone writing for an audience to someone writing for himself.
2. I settled with good enough.
When I stopped aiming for perfection and settled with good enough, I freed up my mind of the pressure of publishing perfect articles.
Instead, I decided to create MVPs or minimum viable products that I could write fast and with minimal effort. Then, I will update them every now and then as needed or to improve SEO.
3. I accepted the possibility of rejection.
I accepted that I couldn't please everyone because we all came from different walks of life and perspectives.
I may write the best article for a topic. However, there will still be some who will criticize it mainly because of different opinions.
I also avoided arguments on social media, especially if they were disruptive and not helpful to anyone.
4. I listened to constructive feedback more.
When I was still starting my writing journey, my sister would be the first to criticize my work because she was better than me.
I accepted her constructive feedback because I knew it would help me improve, like how she told me to avoid run-on sentences and cut them accordingly.
She also told me to use active voice over passive voice and be more personal.
I also had friends who helped me improve my social media presence, another with my logo, and more.
5. I stopped trying to be an expert.
I changed my perspective that I must be an expert before I share what's in my mind.
I started sharing my journey and progress, not as someone who knows everything but as a fellow traveler.
To some, I can also be a guide to those who might be going through the same experience as mine.
6. I continued working and improving my craft.
I learned that I can't stop working and improving my craft to gain confidence in what I do and lessen my imposter syndrome.
I dove deeper into researching better ways to capture an audience, implement SEO, and read more.
7. I realized that Imposter Syndrome is normal.
After a while, I realized that Imposter Syndrome is normal and many people, even the experts in the field, are experiencing it.
I accepted that there would be times when I would feel inadequate and afraid to appear as a pretender. Still, I also realized that no one was looking at me, and no one was out to get me.
The most significant shift is my shift to perspective.
Final Thought:
Imposter Syndrome happens to almost everyone, especially if you're trying to improve on something. It is an uncomfortable feeling, but you have to fight through it.
Soon, all your hard work will produce confidence and acceptance that if you have put in the work, then you deserve the reward.