Imposter Syndrome – it can’t be remedied with an ointment or even a course of antibiotics but left to its own devices, can really start to take its toll on your mental health and professional performance.
What exactly is Imposter Syndrome? (You might be wondering).
It basically all boils down to ongoing feelings of inferiority. It’s a feeling people experience when they believe they aren’t good enough or worthy enough in a professional and/or personal/social situation.
Imposter Syndrome leads you to believe that you’ll fail or look stupid, and therefore traps people within their comfort zone. Often, people aren’t even aware they’re suffering from Imposter Syndrome – they simply blame other factors for the things they can’t or won’t do.
When it comes to MSPs, I like to think of it as that little niggling voice in your head that prevents you from letting go and stepping up to scale with confidence.
It’s that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that keeps pulling you away from investing in the people, systems and marketing you need to be, do and have more.
You’ll know if you’re experiencing Imposter Syndrome because you’ll recognize ‘symptoms’ like:
- Self-doubt, downplaying your abilities, and a lack of confidence.
- Agonizing over flaws and minor mistakes.
- Worrying that you can’t live up to expectations.
- Setting yourself unrealistic goals or ambitions and punishing yourself for not meeting them.
- Believing there must be someone better-suited thank you for a job, task, etc.
- Attributing your achievements to outside forces.
You couldn’t possibly have succeeded all on your own… Right? Wrong!
Of course, you can. You can do anything you put your mind to.
There are astounding capabilities within each of us and it’s only ourselves that can define the boundaries of our own lives and achievements.
My tips for combatting a bout of the dreaded Imposter Syndrome are:
- Don’t spend too much time on social media – what people post online is a highlight reel of their real lives and comparing your outtakes to their best bits can exacerbate the issue massively.
- Be open and honest about your feelings – nobody ever got anywhere by bottling things up.
- Although you might find it hard to hash out, talking through your feelings and experiences can be extremely cathartic and healing. It’ll also help you gain insight into other, more positive perspectives about yourself.
- Cut yourself some slack – We’re all human, we all make mistakes, and we can’t all be experts in absolutely everything all of the time. Focus more on celebrating what you can do and what you’re working towards, rather than berating yourself for what you can’t do or haven’t done (yet).
Friends, family and trusted colleagues can provide a fantastic network of support when it comes to shaking off Imposter Syndrome – they’ll be the first ones to tell you how great you’re doing, I’m sure!
However, if you think you’d also benefit from some professional support, I’d be more than happy to help you realize (and fulfill) your true potential.
My work with MSP clients in the MSPMastery program helps ensure Imposter Syndrome stays at bay – and ensures it stays that way too – so MSPs can concentrate on smashing their goals instead.
Sound good? Get in touch and I can talk you through it.
It’s time to get out of your own way and show the world what you and your business are really made of!
When you focus on what you need now to transform your current results, the future will open up and give you more than you ever thought possible.
Whenever you’re ready, here are five ways I can help you scale your IT/MSP to achieve £1million in revenue or, if you’re already there, to go faster to £5million:
- Take the MSP Scale Quiz: in three minutes see how you score on the MSP Journey and what you need to focus on to scale to £1million or, if already there, to go faster to £5million. You can access it here.
- Join the IT/MSP’s Scale With Confidence group on Facebook and connect with other MSPs who are scaling too: Too many IT/MSPs struggle to scale Beyond £1million and want more profit, time, and freedom from their business. This group is to help change this…giving you the confidence, community, and insight to get your business working for you rather than you for it. Join here.
- Understand where you are on the MSP Journey: There are four distinct phases to scaling and exceeding £1million in revenue or, if already there, to going faster in the MSP Journey. Find out which one you’re in.
- Work with me privately: If you want to get some 1:1 help, we can jump on the phone for a quick call, and brainstorm how to get your business working for you rather than you for it. So, you can scale with confidence. Just book in here.
- Hear what others say: Listen to real-life experiences of MSPs currently working with Stuart in MSPMastery and how quickly they see results.
