What is imposter syndrome? I guess the definition is a particular lack of self-confidence: a persistent feeling that, despite one’s abilities or achievements, you’re a fraud and will be exposed as one.
The term was coined way back in 1978 in an article by Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes, which was based on their interviews with 150 high-achieving women. It’s always been framed as a women’s issue. A popular joke goes, “Lord, give me the confidence of a mediocre white man.”
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To be honest, this doesn’t quite sit right to me. Many men also struggle with the sense that they’ll be exposed as incompetent or otherwise lacking. A high percentage of the men I know are writers, and it may be that writers and other creative people are more prone to this.
Although the term “imposter syndrome” was coined decades ago, it seems like a lot of people have been discussing it in the last few years. Every time I hear it come up, I think, “Oh, yeah. I don’t have that.”
But I used to. It’s funny, because it seems so long ago. That person I used to be seems so much different from the person I am now. I’m not arrogant, and I know there’s a lot I don’t know, but I do have confidence.
How did I get over imposter syndrome? Daily positive affirmations.
Repetition Is Key to Positive Affirmations
When I talk to people about how to use positive affirmations, some of them will say, “Oh, those don’t work for me,” without really using them as they’re supposed to be used: daily, over a long period of time. It’s kind of like exercise. If you only do it once or twice a month, you might not see big changes. If you do it every day, you will.
We always think of brainwashing as a negative thing—and if someone else is trying to control your thinking, it is. But using positive affirmations is self-brainwashing. You’re taking a power hose to your negative thoughts, fears, and internalized criticism, and clearing it all away. And you’re replacing them with good thoughts about yourself and your life.
I think most of us know that repetition is the key to brainwashing. That’s why it actually takes discipline and commitment to stick to doing them every day.
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How Do You Write Positive Affirmations?
Write positive affirmations as present-tense, factual statements. Here are some examples of positive affirmations that might help you combat imposter syndrome.
I am intelligent.
I am creative.
I do excellent work every day.
Other people respect and admire my abilities.
You can make yours specific to the kind of work you do, such as “I am a master storyteller” or “I am an inspiring teacher.”
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How to Use Positive Affirmations
Morning is a good time to use them, because it sets the tone for your day. I think it works best to say them out loud, because it engages more parts of your brain.
Of course, battling imposter syndrome is only one use for them. When you use positive affirmations related to your goals and dreams, your faith pushes your subconscious (and perhaps a higher power as well) into making those goals and dreams into realities.
Do you deal with imposter syndrome? Do you have another method of getting over it? Or do you have something to say about using positive affirmations? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading, and you’re competent and brilliant!
I’m worse. I don’t even think I’m good enough to fake it long enough to be an imposter.
What?! You don’t even have to fake it! Hey, I hope you’re doing okay this week. I’ve been thinking about you!
Hi! Great post, as always. You’re so inspiring!!! For me, I struggled with a gigantic amount of negativity as a child, coming at me from teachers and my father. As you can imagine, it took a long time to work through such things and refocus. I would say for the last 5 years I’ve worked “extra hard” to work on positive affirmations. And of course, I’ve slipped a bunch of times. Overall, I’ve done well, and like you mentioned, I’m not the same person today that I was 10 years ago. My practice of positive self-talk happens at night before bed. I find that it helps quiet my mind before I drift off to sleep. Have a great rest of your week!
Oh, you are too kind. And yeah, when you grow up hearing a lot of negativity about yourself, it can take a lot of effort to overcome it. I think it’s so wonderful that you’ve made such a big change! You should know how awesome you are.
Thank you!
Imposter syndrome is not an issue for me, because I’ve always been creative and a problem-solver. Nothing I’ve ever done has been particularly spectacular, but more than fifty years of such experiences give me plenty to look back on with satisfaction, and to look forward to with the hope of accomplishing a little bit more in the time I have left on Earth.
I think the concept of positive affirmation as it’s usually expressed is too vague to benefit most people who are experiencing insecurity. Positive affirmations should be specific: “I did a good job when I . . .” “I’m pleased with the results of my . . .” and “I’m looking forward to the next time I . . . .” Nobody succeeds at everything they do, and a failure, so matter how small, can be disheartening, but “I’m going to find a better way to . . .” is the kind of positive affirmation that turns past mistakes into future accomplishments, of which one can be justifiably proud.
Hi, Christine! It’s nice to hear from you! I especially like your “I’m going to find a better way…” kind of thinking. Thanks for commenting!
I agree that many men experience this phenomenon as well. Daily affirmations and visualizations have helped me work through imposter syndrome in my own life. I have adopted the term “brainblessing” since brainwashing has such a negative connotation. Thanks for your insight.
“Brainblessing”—I love it, Leslie! Thanks for sharing. And I’m so glad those techniques have worked for you.
Rather than verbalizing positivity, I believe in reducing negative influences that can impact confidence or mood. This usually nets a positive result.
Promoting the EDSO ‘happy’ chemicals in the brain (ref. Simon Sinek) has a lasting effect beyond verbal affirminations.
I agree with you K. Alison. It’s so important to reduce the negative influences.
Hi, K. Alison! Well, that is a great point about reducing negative influences. I’m going to look up Simon Sinek and EDSO brain chemicals—that sounds really interesting! Thanks!
I love this post, Bryn. Affirmations are a great way to change the way we think. I would like to add a turbo-booster to the affirmation tool. While repeating the statement, do physical actions that cross the midline of the body such as touching right knee with left hand and then switching to touch left knee with right hand.
Years ago, I would get sick every Mother’s Day. I used the statement, “I am a good mother” in conjunction with midline crossing activities to address the issue. I don’t get sick on Mother’s Day any more.
I have studied many healing modalities. Affirmations is one of the simplest.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I plan to utilize it with some of my writing insecurities. It was a great reminder.
Jessie, that is fascinating—the idea of adding a physical action to an affiirmation. How interesting that you took that holistic approach to your health and it worked. What a great post. Thanks!
Forgive me if this post seems to contradict my previous post.
Re-branding myself as a fantasy writer has brought up a lot of these feelings of being an imposter. I have credibility in working with children, teaching pioneer living skills, tatting and teaching tatting, making miniature pioneer era dolls. In these areas I have won awards, and even published, but it was hard for me when my granddaughters wanted to paint dragons on my mailbox. To be so public about a subject I feel so inadequate about has been painful! And trying to break into the market as a sci/fi fantasy writer leaves me limp.
I have recently revised my web site – taken out all of the references to the historical society I worked for for fourteen years, but I haven’t yet worked up the courage to take off the instructions for making tatted lace. I just can’t do it even though it doesn’t match the color scheme, or the new brand.
Is my research on the internet leading me astray? Do I really have to choose one narrow genre and audience and forget any former success?
In order to re-brand myself, do I have to dump everything I’ve done before in any other category? I notice that you, Bryn, have written and published in more than one genre. So does it make a difference?
Thanks for helping me take a good look at myself and see what I can do to move my personal character arc ahead.
I don’t think this contradicts your previous post at all, Jessie. Re-branding and switching genres is such an interesting issue. Everyone has questions about it. I can understand your feelings about making the switch. I think it’s fascinating that you’ve embraced something new, but I feel like you should still get credit for your other work. And hey—people in fantasy worlds might want to make tatted lace, too. 🙂 Thanks for such an interesting post!
I really struggle with this. So much so that even as I write out positive affirmations, I find myself sneering at the words because I don’t believe them. I grew up internalizing negative things said about me, and as an adult, I’m quick to ‘beat you to the punch’ by self-denigration. I’ve carved deep grooves in the playback of my life, ones a superficial recording of new material can’t hide.
But even as I type those words out, I remind myself that vinyl albums have gone the way of the dodo, and I don’t have to cut new grooves into old discs. That is OLD TECH. Now I can simply erase and re-record. Therein is the biggest hurdle to making positive affirmations work for you, I think you have to find something that clicks for you emotionally and allows you to accept the new input.
But you’re right. You can’t just do it every now and then and expect the new input to take hold. If you’ve spent years running down your achievements, it’s going to take time to rebuild trust. Because that’s what it is in the long run–you’ve been in an abusive relationship with yourself, and you have to learn how to trust that inner voice again.
Says the person who, on being told her latest book was nominated for an award, immediately questioned whether she’d entered the right category or not. *sigh* It’s definitely a process.
Hi, McKenna! Yeah, I think that’s why repetition is so important with positive affirmations—because for a while, the brain resists and isn’t having it. 🙂 I LOVE your vinyl album/new tech metaphor. That’s amazing. And I love the idea of learning to trust yourself again after being in an abusive relatioinship with yourself! That is absolutely genius. It’s so true.
Your book was nominated for an award?! Congratuiations!! Hey, can I say something about this at the next WIP Wednesday??
My brain must be pretty resistant, then! I need to get back to it because I can feel my confidence slipping again and I gave up on it too soon last time I tried affirmations. It’s a bit like physical therapy–if you stop doing it, the injured body part gets weak again–and prone to re-injury.
Your book was nominated for an award?! Congratuiations!! Hey, can I say something about this at the next WIP Wednesday??
Aw, now this is where I blush and twist in my chair a little because I seriously thought about deleting that addition to my comment. But that’s also part of battling impostor syndrome, accepting compliments with grace and not being afraid to share achievements. So thank you, I’d be honored if you shared that on the next WIP day! I’m waiting for the official email before I go large with it, but it’s the Booksellers Best Awards. They called the other night. Could have knocked me over with a feather. 🙂
McKenna, your phrase, you’ve been in an abusive relationship with yourself, and you have to learn how to trust that inner voice again! Wow. Right on! Thanks for the post.
Thanks, Jessie! It took me a while to figure that out, but once I did, it helped put the brakes on the negative self-talk. 🙂
No escape from myself, but more power to change the relationship. Thanks.
I can see how positive affirmations could help with this. We are in fact our own worst critics. If we can convince ourselves that our work is worthwhile, then who is to say otherwise.
Hi, Erin! Sheesh, I love that last sentence. That is perfect. 🙂 It’s always nice to hear from you!
Hoo boy, imposter syndrome is something I’m constantly battling with, despite having a Ph.D. and lots of other training. Of course with my fiction writing, it can be worse since I have absolutely no training, and only started in seriousness in my 50s. I think it comes from growing up in a household where both parents (and others) always strove for quality of results (not necessarily perfectionists but always put in the effort to do well – and succeeded to do well). You wrote “Many men also struggle with the sense that they’ll be exposed as incompetent or otherwise lacking.” Indeed. This man is constantly feeling like that, and the best I’ve managed to do so far is to ignore it, but it’s always lurking in the background. It can lead to lack of motivation, procrastination and passivity.
Heck yeah to you and getting over impostor syndrome!! 😀
I do suffer from this although I’m getting better. You’re right that positive affirmations are a key here to getting over this, or passed it, or maybe even just dealing with it. I self-published my poetry book and that was not enough to make me say yeah I’m a writer. Nope, I self-published, no one chose me. And yet I write every day. There’s never a time I sit down to write and can’t. I find ways to get the words out. Doesn’t that make me a writer? I’m not a professional runner but I call myself a runner.
There’s this hope that once I publish my novel I will be able to claim the title once and for all. But will I allow myself if the book does not fly off the shelves? And what am I until then? And what about the notion that since I’m writing fiction, making up a paranormal fantasy, that this is somehow frivolous. What is it about this need for recognition that burdens us so? Because when I’m chatting with other writers it doesn’t feel frivolous. When I’m talking books with other readers or talking about my story with creative types it doesn’t feel frivolous. Why do I care about anything else?
I’m getting much better at claiming my identity as a writer because I am, I’m just not a published fiction author. 😉 Continuing to dream, imagine, put my pen to paper or fingers to keyboard helps me to take myself more seriously but not too much. This is my work. Making it a priority helps me see passed impostor syndrome because this IS something REAL. Thanks for this conversation. 😉
Hi, Bryn. I finally read this. I myself am finally getting better at calling myself a writer and editor. I’m even calling myself an author sometimes, even though I haven’t quite finished my novel yet. But, I might write a short book sometime soon, possibly an ebook on the writing craft, or about grammar. Anyway, I have been battling impostor syndrome pretty much my whole life. I have had a hard time with self-esteem, for many reasons, including experiencing quite a bit of negativity in my childhood. I won’t go into detail here, but suffice it to say that it was traumatic, as I had a tendency to have a sensitive nature. Which contributed to my introvertedness. It was quite a cycle of emotions, as you might imagine. I think it’s great that people are finally talking about mental health issues now. It’s about time! -Heather
I forgot to say that I was using positive affirmations a long time ago, back in the 90’s, and have used them over the years, off and on. I want to get some of those affirmations cards, which I think would help me a lot. There are also a lot of different kinds of cards that I think are pretty neat, that also have been helpful to lots of people, like special Tarot cards, and Oracle cards. They can be used in the same way.