Battling Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever said these things to yourself?
I’m not a real sleep consultant.
I’m just getting lucky with my business.
I’m not allowed to fail at any aspect of my work.
You might have imposter syndrome…
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter Syndrome happens when you are having success but suffer from chronic self-doubt and feel unworthy of your accomplishments. You may be a perfectionist. You may have been ‘the smart one’ in the family or had heavy expectations placed on you for success. But with Imposter Syndrome making its way around the internet, we can also use this as an excuse.
First of all, you are capable. You are a real sleep consultant. You are a real entrepreneur. Many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs have tried new things with their businesses and had ideas fail. Every time you tell yourself you are not worthy, or not capable, reframe those words into a statement of recognizing your success or the lesson from a challenge.
Drop your expectations for grandeur and see what you’ve accomplished. Reset your business plan accordingly and rewrite new goals that you can accomplish short term to lift your spirits. Most importantly, consider the time, place, and context where these thoughts come into play. Are you around specific people? Is it after a hard day? Is it when you didn’t quite get the feedback you wanted? Look for patterns in your negative thought processes and when they start to creep in, visualize yourself in the success you are working so hard to achieve.
Imposter Syndrome doesn’t define you. You are strong, capable, and intelligent and are an amazing sleep consultant!
It’s no secret: if you’re seen as an expert in your field you’ll have more opportunities and more success. But how do you get there once you’ve tackled imposter syndrome?
TedTalks and major media features don’t just fall into your lap unless you’re extremely lucky. And in some industries, you don’t have to be a superstar on the media circuit to be seen as an expert.
First, grow your social platform. Today’s business market operates heavily with social currency. Your online work may not always sell, but it will build trust, name recognition, and referrals. You’ll still have to do a lot of work on your own but when other people trust you, you’re easier to hire!
Next, understand that there’s a difference between expertise and knowledge. You can read all of the books and articles you want but if you don’t put that into practice or form your own theories or programs, you’re not an expert. Just because you’ve done a specific job for ten years, that doesn’t mean you did that job well. Your potential client will want to know you can be trusted and solve their problem. Always ask for testimonials for your website and share your success stories to back up your personal belief in your skills and knowledge!
Finally, share your knowledge. Wait, isn’t there a difference between knowledge and expertise? Yes! Expertise is what only you can do when working with your clients. Knowledge is helping other sleep consultants to grow their experience and expertise. This helps you to be a leader and go-to source for others looking to improve. You don’t have to tell everything you know, but you can drop enough thought nuggets to keep people coming back for more!
Are you ready to grow your business? Consider taking a refresher course with Sweet Sleep Academy. We can’t wait to help you with your business and refresh your knowledge in our ten carefully curated modules.
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