Yesterday’s blog on the Imposter Complex talked about what it is and how to look at it differently. I thought about it a lot yesterday after I wrote it and realized that being an imposter may be me. What if you are feeling like an imposter, because you are meant to do something else in your career? What if it is a message that means you need to look at things differently and really figure out your true purpose?
Unfortunately, feeling like an imposter is pretty common for many people and it happened to me as well in my past. I loved my company, the people there and working in IT, but what I loved more was helping people. It was one of the things I realized after working with an executive coach on some other challenges I was having. Deep down inside, I knew that I needed to make a change. Since I shifted my career into coaching and leadership development I haven’t felt like an imposter at all. There are so many organizations, teams and individuals that have not had the opportunities that I took for granted. Sharing what I have learned and coaching people exposes them to ideas that they have not had the chance to hear before. They are excited to learn and see new possibilities for themselves. The positive energy it creates for a team to go through these conversations sets them on a new path. They can see things differently, move out of their comfort zones and accomplish so much more. I feel very honored to be a part of those conversations to help them move forward.
Spend the time looking at why you are feeling like an imposter so you can understand what is causing it. Is it that you are in a job or a company that isn’t fulfilling you? Is it because you are in a career that pays well, but doesn’t make you happy? Is it because you are letting others influence your decisions? Reflection is not easy and building this awareness takes time, but it is worth it. Understanding why you feel like an imposter is a big first step and will help you see what you may want to do differently. It will empower you to make different choices. Just imagine how things could be different for you if you removed this as a limiting self-belief from your thinking.