If you don’t know me yet — I’m a weird, sensitive introvert who is biasedly intuitive and emotional.
The blessing — and also the curse — is I’m proudly stubborn with how my gut and heart feel about everything.
That starts the tale of a woman named Kim hopping 5 jobs in 2 years, stubbornly looking for a path of authentic success where her heart truly sings with freedom and fulfillment.
One day, her career-pivoting opportunity showed up — Kim was asked to consult a new venture project.
What did she do?
She tried to chicken out of it in almost. every. first. steps.
Kim’s emotions of imposter syndrome got the better of her.
(The plot just gets good, and also, it’s slightly awkward to use the third person, so allow me to return to speaking in the first person from here)
Sitting in front of my blank ‘Consulting proposal’, my mind went red and wailing like an ambulance’s siren because my chest had just exploded.
I couldn’t forge anything to offer, only a million reasons why I was not cut out for this opportunity.
My experience being a 6-year business development manager who helped companies enter new territories went out the window.
In a split second, I was minimized into a baby trying to wear her mom’s dress.
And it was too big.
What I had thought was exaggerated almost occurred — passing out because of fear.
My vision got blurred. My head became dizzy. I was gasping for air.
Child-posing on the floor, I breath into my weary heart.
‘I know you are here. Fear and Doubt. I wish you did not come. But stay, anyway. Please, tell me what I need to know.’
Rolls and rolls and rolls of drum beats took over my heart.
Time was passing by on that floor.
‘It’s a new adventure, Kim. Be brave, like Bilbo Baggins’
My mind was filled with images of the little hobbit leaving the serenity of the Shire to explore places, friendships, and treasures beyond his wildest dreams.
He refused to take gold and gemstones (except — ahem — a supervillainous piece of jewelry).
Because he came back with much more courage in his heart. And a story-of-a-lifetime.
So, like Bilbo Baggins, I stood up and said, ‘I’m going on an adventure’.
6 months later, I moved to a beach town and rented a garden house more beautiful than I had ever fantasized about.
And made my long-held dream come true — I became a coach.
I can see you, ambitious career navigators, longing for more than a stable paycheck but a fulfilling career.
But the more achieving we are, the more influence imposter syndrome has on us.
Imposter syndrome can be one of our biggest hinderers.
That’s why I’m here to help you carry on no matter what. Because I know your vision is too important to back down.
What is imposter syndrome?
If you haven’t known, this so-called concept was developed in the 1970s by psychologists Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance and is characterized as below.
“Impostor phenomenon occurs among high achievers who are unable to internalize and accept their success. They often attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud.”
Imposter syndrome is not an illness, but an experience of stressful emotions that leads to unproductive behaviors like decision paralysis, procrastination, perfectionism, or inaction.
The root emotions are Fear and Doubt.
Overcome these emotions and you can overcome the influence of imposter syndrome, and modify your behaviors toward more favorable and productive ones.
How to overcome Fear and Doubt?
In my guidebook Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Go Get It, you will uncover detailed guidelines of
- 3 self-assessment steps to understand your unique imposter syndrome symptoms;
- “The Triple A (Allow — Acknowledge — Accept) practice” to manage overwhelming fear and doubt, and turn self-defeating thoughts into self-empowering thoughts. So that you can transform your self-sabotaging behaviors into self-supporting ones;
- “The Riddikulus exercise” to use humor to quickly deactivate the influence of imposter syndrome, and briefly re-direct your emotions of fear & doubt to relief. So that you can instantly self-motivate before taking demanding actions.
Distilled from 3 years of experience with managing imposter syndrome, and infused with love and humor, this guidebook is my gift of joy for you to enjoy both the purpose and the process of reading it.
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