Silencing Imposter Syndrome: Claim Your Competence and Worth
Show Notes:
Summary:
In this episode, Valerie Hatcher addresses the common yet seldom discussed phenomenon of imposter syndrome. Valerie reveals her own experiences, shares listener stories, and offers actionable strategies for women over 50 to overcome these self-doubting thoughts. Join in and learn how to embrace our successes, silence our inner critic, and step into our power with grace and style.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Imposter Syndrome
00:50 Challenging aging stereotypes and owning success with confidence
01:59 Understanding Imposter Syndrome and its impact on women over 50
03:01 Personal reflection on facing and overcoming self-doubt
04:52 Listener story: Janice’s triumph over Imposter Syndrome in college
05:51 Strategies to combat Imposter Syndrome: Acknowledge, Challenge, Celebrate
08:11 The power of community: Talking to friends, mentors, or coaches
09:34 Lifelong learning as an antidote to self-doubt
10:21 Encouraging self-compassion and breaking the silence on Imposter Syndrome
10:56 Conclusion, an invitation to continue the conversation, and call to action
Key Takeaways:
- Recognize imposter syndrome as the voice of doubt that undermines your achievements and learn to name it when those feelings arise.
- Counter negative self-talk by affirming your qualifications and reminding yourself of the effort and dedication that contributed to your successes.
- Keep a record of your accomplishments in a "wins folder" to have tangible proof of your hard work and skills for those moments when self-doubt creeps in.
- Reach out to your support system of friends, mentors, or a coach for perspective and encouragement to combat feelings of fraudulence.
- Engage continually in personal and professional development to bolster your confidence and to keep imposter syndrome at bay by actively witnessing your growth and competency.
Connect with Valerie:
I'd love to hear your voice. Leave me a voice message at pod.agigwithgreaceandstyle.com.
Facebook, Instagram, and Threads @iamvaleriehatcher.
Email at hello@agingwithgraceandstyle.com
Join Us Next Time:
If you enjoyed this episode please rate and review. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Stay tuned for more inspiring chats, tips, and stories about the midlife journey.
See you soon! Let's continue to age with grace, style, and a touch of sass.
Transcript
Today, we're diving into a topic that touches many of
Speaker:us, yet it often remains hidden in the shadows
Speaker:of our success and daily lives. It's imposter
Speaker:syndrome. Have you ever felt like you're about to
Speaker:be found out that despite your achievement,
Speaker:you're just winging it. And soon everyone will see
Speaker:that you're not as capable as they think. You're not alone.
Speaker:Today, we're going to uncover the truth behind these
Speaker:feelings, share stories of resilience, and arm
Speaker:ourselves with strategies to kick imposter syndrome
Speaker:to the curb. So grab your cup of coffee, get
Speaker:cozy, and let's get into it.
Speaker:Hey, friend. Ever feel like those old fashioned
Speaker:ideas about aging just don't fit you? If you're ready to
Speaker:own this incredible chapter with grace, style, and a touch of
Speaker:sass, this is your space. Welcome to the aging with
Speaker:grace and style podcast. I'm Valerie Hatcher, and I'm here
Speaker:with empowering tips, inspiring stories, and a whole lot of
Speaker:fun just for us, women over 50. So grab
Speaker:your favorite beverage, turn up the volume, and let's get
Speaker:started.
Speaker:Have you ever landed a big promotion or
Speaker:crushed a project, baked a stunning birthday
Speaker:cake or made a new friend. But then
Speaker:a sneaky voice piped up saying, you just
Speaker:got lucky. Everyone's going to figure out that you're
Speaker:a fraud. We've told we've been told
Speaker:all our lives what we should look like,
Speaker:how we should act, and what counts as
Speaker:success at different life stages. No wonder that
Speaker:inner critic pipes up sometimes. If that sounds
Speaker:familiar, then you might be struggling with imposter
Speaker:syndrome and you're not alone. I have
Speaker:especially seen this in women over 50.
Speaker:We've lived through decades of shifting
Speaker:societal expectations, and we're often
Speaker:juggling multiple roles, career professionals,
Speaker:mothers, partners, caretakers, all
Speaker:while navigating the challenges and stereotypes of
Speaker:aging. I want us to
Speaker:dismantle imposter syndrome. I'm here to
Speaker:remind you that you are capable,
Speaker:competent, and absolutely deserving
Speaker:of your success. But first,
Speaker:let's understand how imposter syndrome works.
Speaker:What is imposter syndrome? Let's see.
Speaker:In simple terms, it's that nagging feeling
Speaker:of self doubt. The belief that you're not really
Speaker:qualified for the roles you occupy and
Speaker:the successes that you've achieved. It's the voice
Speaker:that whispers, anyone could do what you do,
Speaker:but here's the truth. Imposter syndrome
Speaker:is a liar. It affects some of the
Speaker:most successful and capable individuals, and yes,
Speaker:it has even affected me. Just the other
Speaker:day, a friend was raving to others about my
Speaker:work creating content for brands like Peloton,
Speaker:Voltaren and Moderna. I felt this
Speaker:pain of self doubt. There are so many
Speaker:talented content creators out there, right?
Speaker:I just got lucky or, or maybe they
Speaker:reached out because I'm in that age group. But then
Speaker:I realized that inner critic is the
Speaker:voice of imposter syndrome. And you know what? It's
Speaker:lying. Creating content is not easy at
Speaker:all. I put in work and time, photos,
Speaker:videos, reshoots, captions, etcetera. So heck
Speaker:yeah, I should be proud of what I've done. I'm
Speaker:sure that you have your own version
Speaker:of this story where you've earned the accolade,
Speaker:know that no one is immune to imposter
Speaker:syndrome. We, we just may not
Speaker:always recognize what it is. So a
Speaker:listener let's call her Janice once wrote to
Speaker:me about her battle with imposter syndrome.
Speaker:She said that she had returned to college in her late
Speaker:forties. She was surrounded by classmates who were
Speaker:decades younger. Despite acing her
Speaker:courses, she just couldn't shake the feeling that
Speaker:she didn't belong, that her achievements were
Speaker:just flukes. But here's what changed.
Speaker:She started a study group sharing her life experiences
Speaker:and wisdom. And soon she realized that
Speaker:the unique value she brought to the table,
Speaker:Her, her story reminds me that
Speaker:overcoming imposter syndrome, is it
Speaker:about denying our feelings, but it's
Speaker:about recognizing our worth and the unique path that
Speaker:we tread. You might have a similar story,
Speaker:and I'd love for you to share. Leave me a voice message
Speaker:at prod.agingwithgraceandstyle.com.
Speaker:So now we've talked about all that, but how do we combat these
Speaker:feelings? Here are some strategies that have worked for
Speaker:me and for others. Number 1, acknowledge
Speaker:your feelings. Recognize when
Speaker:imposter syndrome is speaking and just label
Speaker:it, call it what it is. For example,
Speaker:I'm feeling that familiar tightness in my chest. When I think about
Speaker:my work, well, that must be imposter
Speaker:syndrome. Trying to take hold again, call
Speaker:it out and say, no challenge
Speaker:your negative thoughts. So replace thoughts like
Speaker:I don't belong here with, I earned my place
Speaker:just like everybody else. An example of that would be
Speaker:going back to the story that I shared earlier
Speaker:about those other content creators are amazing,
Speaker:but you know what? I have my own skills and value
Speaker:that I bring to the table. Number 3 is
Speaker:celebrate your successes. So maybe
Speaker:keep a wins folder or a document and write
Speaker:down your achievements, big or small, and the
Speaker:skills and effort that it took to get there.
Speaker:You landed that assignment or that
Speaker:contract, or in my case, those big brand deals
Speaker:because of our hard work, our creativity,
Speaker:and our track record. Even
Speaker:celebrating a small win, like that email that you
Speaker:finally answered after procrastinating, it helps to chip
Speaker:away at that imposter syndrome. Taking
Speaker:a moment to acknowledge that you overcame your
Speaker:own resistance and got something done. No matter
Speaker:how seemingly insignificant it is,
Speaker:it's a powerful way to quiet that inner
Speaker:critic. It reminds me that we are
Speaker:capable and that progress, even in small
Speaker:steps adds up. And then number 4,
Speaker:I think we're on 4, talk to friends,
Speaker:mentors or a coach. You'll find that many people
Speaker:share your feelings and they offer perspective and
Speaker:encouragement. So for instance, I can talk to my friend
Speaker:Tanya. She's a successful video marketing coach, and she
Speaker:always knows how to boost my confidence.
Speaker:It's not just about telling
Speaker:me you did a great job, but reminding me of
Speaker:all the work that I've put in to get the job done.
Speaker:And then lastly, number 5, embrace lifelong
Speaker:learning, seeing yourself
Speaker:grow and master new skills can
Speaker:be a powerful antidote to imposter feelings.
Speaker:For example, I'm always taking
Speaker:online courses and attending workshops to expand my skills
Speaker:skill set and to stay on top of the
Speaker:content creation trends, podcasting, now
Speaker:video, and not to mention staying on top
Speaker:of my daytime industry.
Speaker:Remember, imposter syndrome
Speaker:thrives in silence, so let's break that silence.
Speaker:Sometimes the most powerful way to combat imposter
Speaker:syndrome is to extend kindness toward ourselves.
Speaker:Remember, everyone makes mistakes and has moments of self
Speaker:doubt. You are a work in progress,
Speaker:learning and growing every day. Be patient with
Speaker:yourself and celebrate your journey.
Speaker:Let's create a community where we can
Speaker:remind each other of our worthiness. And let's take
Speaker:one action today, even a small one, to
Speaker:challenge those self doubting thoughts. You
Speaker:are stronger than you think, more resilient than you
Speaker:realize, and far more capable than that
Speaker:inner critic will ever admit. Until next
Speaker:time. Remember, you are enough just as you
Speaker:are. So let's keep shining with confidence
Speaker:and compassion.
Speaker:Thanks for hanging out with me today. I hope you're feeling
Speaker:inspired and ready to own your awesomeness. I
Speaker:love sharing this space with you. And if you love today's
Speaker:episode, do me a favor. Share it with a friend who
Speaker:could use some extra inspiration. A quick rating
Speaker:and review really helps too. Don't forget to
Speaker:subscribe so you never miss an episode. Let's
Speaker:keep this conversation going. Head over to
Speaker:pod.aging with grace and style.com to sign
Speaker:up for my newsletter. Until next time, keep shining
Speaker:with grace, style, and a whole lot of
Speaker:sass.
