Impostor syndrome is the internal psychological experience of feeling like a phony in some area of your life, despite any success that you have achieved in that area. -- VeryWellMind.com
Does this feel familiar?
- Comparing yourself frequently to others who have achieved their goals faster than you, who are experiencing the success you desire, etc.
- You know in your heart that you are excellent at what you do, but you still doubt yourself.
- You hold yourself back because you're afraid you won't be ready or that people will make fun of you if you do or say or pursue things. For example, you might decide against applying to a festival because "what's the point" or because "it'll never happen for you."
Even the most seasoned musicians experience imposter syndrome, but it doesn't have to take over your life. While I have never met a single individual who hasn't suffered with this, the reality is that you want to start identifying and controlling it so that it ceases jeopardizing your chances of success. One thing to experience these waves of insecurity; quite another to allow them to limit you.
As imposter syndrome would make you believe you're not good enough (when in reality you are), and since fear of not being good enough will be what prevents you from pursuing your dreams, this situation is ironic.
So, how do we overcome it?
1. Get To The Root
Like many other things, we need to get to the root of the problem. What's the root of your impostor syndrome to begin with?
As with so many other things, we can start fixing the problem if we can figure out what's causing it in the first place. Do you recall when you first started to feel this way, then? If not, no problem; just try your best. Ask yourself when it flares up the most where you are right now. Is it stage-based? at business meetings? Business communications? When do you start to experience the overpowering sense of being "found out" as a fraud is starting to take hold?
Start by writing it down and look for any commonalities between the occurrences.
''The more prepared you are, the less room for those insecure thoughts to get hold of you.''
2. Preparedness Meets Opportunity
The more prepared you are, the less room for those insecure thoughts to get hold of you.
So, get ahead of it. Prepare as much as possible. For instance, if you’re nervous around networking events, first, ask yourself what you’re nervous about. If you feel like you don’t belong, write down all the reasons you do. If you’re worried you’ll run out of things to talk about, prepare a few topics you can chat with anyone about (IE: what brought you here/what do you do/other general ice breakers). If your fear is stage-based, practice your performances even more or try to choreograph your performances so you'll be able to keep your mind off your fear.
I’ve found that what really stops impostor syndrome in its tracks is preparing because preparation breeds confidence and confidence is the enemy of impostor syndrome.
''Reframe your feelings of anxiety as exhilaration''
3. Rebrand Your Fear
I discovered something extremely interesting about how our bodies react to fear, and I always put that in the back of my mind whenever I'm anxious. And that is, we react similarly to both fear and enthusiasm.
Consider this. How do you feel under stress? You get heart palpitations, sweaty palms, and stomach aches. What happens when you're ecstatic? The body reacts in the same way, whether it be butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, or a beating heart. This indicates that it all depends on our perspective.
Reframe your feelings of anxiety as exhilaration going forward. You're eager to share what you love with those in your immediate vicinity rather than being anxious when you take the stage.
4. Get To Work!
- Compose a list of between 8 and 15 reasons why you are great at what you do.
-nMake a list of 8–15 benefits that your music, live performance, etc. will provide for others (go ahead, brag a little bit here!).
- Write out 12–20 reasons, both personal and professional, why you NEED to pursue music as a career full-time. For example, "you want to provide for your family" is just as valid as "you want to impact someone's life with your music," which are both valid reasons.
- Retain a list or folder on your computer or phone with encouraging remarks from people who support you and/or your music.
In the end, overcoming impostor syndrome takes time, and chances are you'll have to deal with a new kind of it at each level you pass through—but that doesn't have to be frightening. In fact, it may be said that you are growing and moving forward significantly. And that's something to rejoice about and anticipate. You can do this.
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