Own Your Greatness summary

Congratulations! You now have your first coping card – your imposter origin story. This will become the foundation for the next step, identifying your triggers.

A trigger is a situation that activates or increases your imposter feelings. The key thing to understand is that a trigger is only one half of the equation. The other half is your response. When you’re in the grip of imposter syndrome, the responses may come automatically. 

“I only have this job because no one more qualified applied. I’m such a fraud. I need to work even harder so they don’t question their decision to hire me.”

Isn’t it time to finally change that tired, old story? I know, some days it feels impossible to see yourself any other way. But in this step, you’ll learn how to craft a more accurate and positive narrative.

No one can change their narrative and overcome imposter syndrome alone. When you hold this experience in and keep it to yourself, it has greater power over you. Curiously, the simple strategy of speaking your truth and putting it out into the world, helps weaken its grip.

I want you to start by identifying one or two people in your life who you trust deeply. It could be your best friend, a colleague, your spouse, your mom. Share with them what it’s like to live with imposter syndrome, what anxieties and fears come up for you, and the things that trigger it. 

Imagine you’ve laid out a beautiful picnic. There’s fresh sandwiches on soft bread, and piles of colorful fruit. You’re sipping on a glass of wine when suddenly, the ants show up. They start carrying off entire grapes and swarming your tupperware.

These annoying little creatures are oddly like the negative thoughts that crowd your mind when you’re in the grip of imposter syndrome. They come from nowhere, are intrusive, and can carry a lot of weight.

Hopefully at this point, you’re already starting to feel a change in how you think about yourself. Now it’s time to put this new you into action.

Step 7 is all about giving up the roles that sustain your fraud thinking and experimenting with new roles. First, let’s explore typical roles that people with imposter syndrome tend to play, and their alternatives.

In this final step, you’re going to start building a dream team of people to support you in this ongoing journey. These people will provide advice or a listening ear when the going gets tough. 

Let’s explore the six members you might want to have on your team. As I describe them, write down one or two people who can play each role for you. Also identify the situations or moments when you’ll reach out to that person. This will become your seventh and final coping card.