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There is a big problem with starting your own business. It doesn’t always go the way you planned. Even if you’re lucky enough to start with a bang, things start to wane and eventually, you may have a major slowdown. Getting over the slump is the real challenge. It could come weeks into starting up or months or even years.

I’ve hit just such a slump and I honestly feel a little lost. It’s the end of the year which is probably not helping either.

I feeling like I’m falling into the trap of the Imposter Syndrome.

I found a great definition of the Imposter Syndrome in a Harvard Business Review article with some helpful tips on overcoming it:

“Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.” – HBR Article – Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

This is exactly how I’m starting to feel.

Not to sound arrogant, but I achieved quite a lot in career in a short span of time. I worked hard and smart, which is why I started out on my own.

I thought I could use my knowledge and hard work to create a more intensive level of service for people who needed it. And it worked well for a while.

Now that I’m in a slump, I’ve started to question whether I was all that good to begin with. Despite having evidence of success, albeit small, I know that it’s not really my abilities that are questionable. Yet, I can’t help but feel that way.

This is scary territory. Once I fall into the Imposter Syndrome completely, I know getting out will be difficult. There is a chance that I will spiral into depression and create a vicious cycle for myself. It will become like a self-fulfilling prophecy… I will actually turn into an imposter.

I know that after a successful 15-year career, I do have the skills to do what I’m doing and probably even taking it further. I’m considering branching out my consulting practice so I don’t have to rely on one income stream (which is never smart anyway). All I need now is to continue riding the momentum of positive motivation & mindset and not fall off the brink.

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