Imposter Syndrome in content creation

Let’s start by defining imposter syndrome, which refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. In simple terms, it’s doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It affects people who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments.

Characteristics of imposter syndrome

• Inability to realistically assess your skills
• Attributing your success to external factors
• Berating your performance
• Fear you won’t live up to expectations
• Self-Doubt

Types of Imposter Syndrome

• The Perfectionist: Those who are never satisfied and always feel their work could be better. Often focus on their flaws and mistakes rather than their strengths.
• The hero: Individuals that feel inadequate but need to push themselves to work as hard as possible.
• The Pro: They undervalue their own expertise, always trying to learn more. Never satisfied with their level of understanding.
• The independent: They prefer to work alone and often reject offers of help. They see asking for help as a sign of weakness or incompetence.
• The Genius: Those who set very lofty goals for themselves and then feel crushed when they don’t succeed on the first try.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome for content creators

• Stop Comparing yourself: It is easier said than done and to some extent, we all compare ourselves to others, especially in content creation. Comparing yourself to others can leave you feeling frustrated and anxious, and doesn’t help in creating the life you want. The trick, know that you are unique, and you bring your own value to the table. Focus on yourself and creating content that you are proud of.
• Changing your thoughts: Instead of telling yourself, they are going to find out that you don’t deserve success, remind yourself that it’s normal not to know everything and that you will find out more as you progress. Change how you see failure by realizing they are just learning opportunities that help you better yourself. Finally, be kind to yourself by knowing that you can make mistakes, and forgive yourself. Reward yourself for getting things right.
• Create a Win list: To help change your thoughts, remember what you have achieved this far. Keep track of all your wins, big or small. You can do this daily, weekly, or monthly and no matter how small the win might appear, it’s worth recognizing. In short, a win list keeps you focused on your goals and allows you to change your mindset by looking at the positives.
• Build connections: Avoid doing everything yourself. Instead, find other like-minded individuals and create a network of mutual support. Remember that you can’t achieve everything alone and your network can offer guidance, support, validate your strengths and encourage your efforts to grow.

The bottom line is that success doesn’t require perfection. Offering yourself kindness and compassion instead of judgment and self-doubt can help maintain a realistic perspective and motivate you to pursue your goals. Remember that if you are feeling like an imposter, you are attributing your success to luck. Turn that feeling into one of gratitude by looking at what you have accomplished and being grateful. Don’t be held back by your fears. Let your guard down and let others see the real you.