Imposter Syndrome: What is it? And what can I do about it?

By Kaylan Smith

Kirstie was gracious enough to let me share some tips and tricks on dealing with imposter syndrome on her blog. 

What is imposter syndrome?   A clinical psychologist coined this term in the late ’70s to name those that are high performing, but were inwardly anxious and did not share the internal success that they showed outwardly.  These feelings have shown to be clinically significant across both men and women despite those being fully competent in their area, but overall feeling like they do not belong.  In general, these feelings carry with them an overall sense of feeling like an imposter, meaning a person would create a very unrealistic notion of what it means to be competent and set their internal bar of success exceedingly high.  This can increase our motivation for success, but never lets us reap the rewards for our hard work. 

We can all have these thoughts and feelings whether preparing for a big competition event, planning your glamourous photography session, or even day-to-day in life or career.    Follow along for some easy ways to control the negative thoughts that can rob us of our big moments.

So now we know what it is, and what it feels like and we probably can relate to feeling this way at one time or another.

What do we do about it?

1. Recognize that feeling incompetent and being incompetent are two different things. 

Building an accurate self-assessment is important to overcome feelings of imposter syndrome.

2. Keep track of compliments you receive.

Focus on accepting compliments graciously, rather than blowing off praise. The compliments you receive are genuine and prove your competence. 

3. Discuss your performance with your peers.

When you discover that the people you admire (or fear) sometimes worry about their own achievements, it can give you perspective on your own anxieties

4. Develop a positive way to manage future failures or mistakes. 

Identify a consistent plan to follow through with every time your goals or plans don’t go your way. This helps you bounce back quicker and gives you less time feeling low and more time working toward your goals.

5. Identify your negative thoughts.

It is imperative that you can recognize negative self-talk in order to replace them with something more useful and constructive to your story. 

6. Visualize how you want the situation to go. 

Our minds are a powerful tool, use it to your advantage instead of to your defeat. Visualize your next horse show or photo session going perfectly in your head. 

If you find yourself struggling with imposter syndrome or other issues that keep you from being your best self, please reach out to get help in applying these skills to your daily life.   

You can reach me at determinedtoride@gmail.com  or via phone at 503-267-3991.

Until next time, keep riding!   ~Kaylan