You know the feeling. I do too.

You just walked out of an exciting meeting where you got asked to [Insert thrilling new opportunity or responsibility HERE] ! You couldn’t be more jazzed about it until—SHE shows up.

Uninvited.

As usual.

You know her. She’s the nagging, fearful, entitled one that—despite your proven abilities— projects feelings like:

(1) You’re a fraud.

(2) You’re incapable of real success.

(3) Everyone else will find out how unfit you are when they see you try.

Yeah, not the best mental start.

The good news? You are not your thoughts. These unpleasant moments of imposter syndrome creeping in may feel like they don’t. Freakin’. Stop. Coming! You can’t control the first thought that comes into your mind, but you can control the second. And the third. And the hundredth. 

Let me break it down for you. That feeling of imposter syndrome? The one that feels so real, so strong that it MUST be true? It’s likely your own fear of taking up more space in a place that MATTERS to you.

The antidote is simple, but hard. Do it anyway. The fact that you have been presented with new opportunities means that you have already proven your capabilities. You gotta own them.