Imposter Syndrome in the entrepreneur community is discussed a lot on the line of “I am supposed to be here, but I doubt myself.” However, today, I want to look at it differently that rarely gets discussed—handling imposter syndrome that stems from being jealous of our peers. You should know I am very transparent and blunt; I wouldn’t say I like sugar-coating it. I believe imposter syndrome is rooted in a version of jealousy we experience when we see others living a life we thought we should have. I have talked a couple of times about How To Navigate The Darkside of Social Media. Seeing others show a lifestyle or business you aspire to be can bring on jealous tendencies that create imposter syndrome that should not be there.
Let’s break down the root cause of jealousy that is causing the underlying issue of imposter syndrome showing up in your mindset daily.
What Is Making You Jealous
Here are some thoughts that probably come to mind when looking at other people’s social media pages: They have more followers, likes, and engagement than me. They are getting the press features. Their items are constantly sold out. They have a following that adores them. They are getting podcast invites or articles written about them. They have fangirls. Their blog is getting millions of hits. They have the lifestyle I want to live.
Do you want to know the truth? A lot of this is smoke and mirrors, and the same people you’re jealous of are unhappy. A lot of those same people have bought the followers, likes, and comments. Many of those same people have stolen other people’s content, product ideas, and much more and passed it off to the next. A lot of these people buy in small quantity then make it seem like things are sold out. Not everything you see on social media is real. In the last month, I have spoken to several people scammed by big names or people who had their ideas and content stolen by big names.
Not everyone on social media is living a lie, but you see nice curated content before you. On the other coin too, you have to understand there are a subset of people
Removing Outside Noise
One of the best things you can do for yourself is removed outside noise that causes imposter syndrome for you as an entrepreneur. That might mean muting or unfollowing people that make you second guess your purpose.
A couple of years ago, I had to do this myself, and truthfully it caused some tension because I unfollowed former clients and friends. However, it was about my mindset and what I needed to see. Nothing against any of those individuals because I want them to win even to this day.
Give yourself to unfollow, unsubscribe, or mute people if it is doing something damaging to your headspace. Not everyone is meant to be with you every season of life.
Remember Why You Started
My company mission and vision statement are close to my heart. There was a time when I saw others who were using my content and gaining traction. It was a lot of legal battles, but I saw these people growing their audience with my works and then “seeing” them post about being millionaires. It hurt me to the core, and I wanted to give up. Then I remember why I started consulting in the first place. 1. My audience asked me to 2. It is my purpose 3. I am passionate about helping others run successful businesses on their terms.
I have peace about those who have done me wrong. I recently saw two women were up to their old tricks, and it made me sad that others have bought into lies and helped these women earn money they don’t deserve.
Focus On Your Achievements
Often, we get caught up in what we see in others we forget the greatness that is in us. We forget that we launched. We forget that you are self-funded. We forget that we have clients we love us. We forget that having a small audience allows us the freedom to make mistakes.
Take time to write what you have done that you’re proud of. For example, I am proud that I spent several days recording content and editing it. Do I wish the video quality was of higher standards? Yes. Instead, though, I am thankful I got out of my comfort zone and did it. I am proud of committing myself to the content I create and so many other things. Focusing on my achievements reminds me that I am on track. Your race is your race, and you’re not racing to be the first one to post on social media for claps. The purpose is to do and let my work speak for myself, even it takes longer than most.
Be Mindful Our Journey Is Not Linear
When I launched my business over a decade ago, I swore that website, product, and excellent packaging were going to take me to the top. No one told me about international shipping; no one told me about lost packages, websites crashing, or the emotional rollercoaster I would be on. We think it’s a straight line to success, and it’s not. I am defining success as matters to myself. At one point, it was hitting six figures for me. Yes, do I want to own a multi-million dollar company? Yes. On the other side of that, I want to impact women-led businesses for the better. Every year, I define what I want success to be for me, and then I check in every quarter to make sure I am doing just that.
These five tips are designed to help you genuinely understand imposter syndrome can be rooted in many things, but when we overcome the truth, we allow freedom to overcome us. We cannot focus on our goals, aspirations, and plans even better when guided by our truths
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
