How to beat imposter syndrome

Do you know what imposter syndrome is? Have you felt it? That nagging feeling like you don’t belong? That there are thousands of people way better than you at whatever it is you’re trying to do? The pit in your stomach that someone will ask you a question you can’t answer, then call you out for being a poser?

I may have discovered how to beat it. 

“Identity” is a word that is used with increasing regularity in our culture. But what is identity? How do we come upon it? What is it good for? 

If you’re reading this article on my website, it’s likely you identify as a creative person; an artist. Why do you identify that way? How did that come to be? For me, as a young child, I watched my older brother draw and play music. I wanted to be like him. This is when I first experienced imposter syndrome. My drawings and songs were terrible compared to my brother’s. All our relatives talked about my brother’s natural “gift” for art. They never said things like that about me.  

I stumbled on an interesting quote by James Clear in his book Atomic Habits. “Each experience in life modifies your self-image,” Clear writes. “But it’s unlikely you would consider yourself a soccer player because you kicked a ball once or an artist because you scribbled a picture. As you repeat these actions, however, the evidence accumulates and your self image begins to change.”

Last week, I saw Timm Chiusano speak at a conference. He has a well-documented journey of leading a large production team for a massive corporation, growing an audience along the way, then “responsibly firing himself.” He told us that immediately after leaving his corporate job, even with millions of followers across multiple platforms, he felt imposter syndrome. He didn’t know what to do next. 

Chiusano soon realized he had a big “pie chart” of skills and experience from his last job. He knew how to manage a team, produce content, organize corporate information, write, communicate, create content, and much more. Even in a new field, Chiusano gained confidence and beat his imposter syndrome by looking back on the work he had done. 

Eventually, work outweighs gifting. Evidence outweighs credentials. By doing the work, you earn a “pie chart” of skills and experience that no one can take away from you. You beat imposter syndrome by accumulating evidence that even you can’t deny. 

You claim your identity by doing your work.