Stuck? 20 Cures For Imposter Syndrome For Writers

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[Taken from The Prosperous Writer. Not all content from the ezine is shared in this blog. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single helpful tip.]

Imposter Syndrome is that feeling of not being good enough on the inside, even though everything on the outside indicates otherwise.

Imposter Syndrome is nothing new, but it does seem to coincide with the rise of women’s rights in the second half of the 20th century, which makes me wonder if there might not be a historical aspect to the syndrome. Of course, men can suffer from Imposter Syndrome as well as women, but I notice women talking about it more than men.

Basically, if you have ever felt like a fraud or have ever struggled to accept and embrace your personal successes, then you are probably familiar with imposter syndrome to some degree.

I have a theory about imposter syndrome and women. I don’t think that women, especially mothers, are encouraged to succeed in the arenas of life that matter most to us. Even in the 21st century, being an individual and a mother seems like an oxymoron. Society works hard to encourage women and mothers to conform to socially acceptable norms.

So let’s cut straight to the cures. If you are a writer, especially a woman writer or a mom writer, try these strategies and see if you notice an uptick in genuine confidence.

1. Review your formal training
2. Make a list of your on-the-job-training
3. Make connections between your daily experience and your expertise
4. Consider all the ways you uniquely stand out in your niche
5. Don’t compare yourself to others
6. Assume competitors are also unique
7. Keep a list of your successes and review it regularly
8. Finish this sentence: “I feel confident because…”
9. Meditate, pray, or do yoga
10. When you feel fearful, anxious or doubtful, find a way to get it off your chest without burdening others
11. Talk back to any self-doubt, especially the recurring kind
12. Create a success shelf where you keep all of your best works within reach
13. Actually sit down and read some of your past work
14. If you get inspired to leverage your old work in fresh ways, do it
15. Remind yourself that you are a valuable member of any group
16. Acknowledge and accept all of your desired roles in life
17. Gather up all the nice things folks have said or written to you and post them
18. When you get external validation, pause and let it in
19. Acknowledge the good work you’ve done as the ramp towards the good work you are about to do
20. Treat yourself with cheerful respect

Often, we don’t do any of these things regularly and yet we can’t understand why we don’t feel more empowered and confident.

If you lean on others to adjust your dis-empowered attitude a bit too often, try these suggestions instead. You will be surprised how much of your attitude you can control all by yourself without putting others out.

Accept that you are human regardless of how you feel in any moment and then gently steer your attention back to all the ways you rock. It only takes a few minutes and it’s the most important thing you can do in your writing as well as in every area of your life.

Christina Katz is a three-time author with Writer’s Digest Books, has an MFA in Creative Writing, and 15 years of teaching and coaching experience with working writers. She has taught via classes, courses, workshops, Dream Teams, challenges, books, ebooks, audios and videos. Become a more empowered writer: subscribe to Become Your Own Writing Coach and check out The Christina Katz Writing & Publishing School.

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