You know more than you think you do.
We’re all so good at downplaying who we are and our strengths, right? I know I am. I’ve dealt with imposter syndrome for years, and that hasn’t truly gone away even as I delve deeper into my personal development journey.
I know I’ve held myself back from different job openings and other opportunities because I felt like I wasn’t knowledgeable or successful enough for them. But that’s not true.
You don’t need to be a successful anything to make your story valid or worth hearing.
I was in the middle of a phone interview the other day when that good ol’ imposter syndrome creeped in again. It told me I wasn’t nearly qualified enough for the position and that I was a food for even trying. When the interviewer asked a complicated question, my mind started freaking out as my mouth started talking.
It turns out that I did know the answer to the question and I even elaborated on the different ways we could accomplish the goal she had asked about. I could tell I was surprising myself even as I was talking.
I didn’t realize how much I’d remembered from previous positions that related to her question, but apparently I retained a lot. If I had listened to the negative thoughts in my mind, I would’ve just said um a lot and not had a concrete answer to the question, even though I had one ready to go deep down in my brain.
So that made me think: how often do we sabotage ourselves from doing something we’re able to do before we even start? I’m guessing a whole bunch.
Give yourself the chance to answer that tough question or take on that challenging assignment or apply to that difficult but probably rewarding job.
Trust me. You know more than you think you do. You just need to give yourself the opportunity to try.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
