Have you ever felt like the person that people see or think you are is not truly you? That what you do or how you do it is just not you? That you are pretending to be able to do something? That you are in fact an imposter in your own skin?
Well that's me! I teach yoga and I have been told that I am good at it but I often feel like an imposter. That I am just pretending that I am good at it.
I have lots of ideas going through my head about different ways to grow my business but when I feel like I am being an imposter in the business it makes it hard to move forward with those ideas. Why would anyone want to be a part of any of it when I'm just a fake and a fraud? When I don't really know what I'm talking about?
To clarify, I have 250 hours of yoga teacher training and have done lots of classes and continue to learn and read so I am qualified to teach. I even have classes that I prepare and then as I'm teaching them I get an idea of what I should be focusing on to make it a better class. I get lots of positive feedback from my students.
It's just that little voice in my head that says, "really, you think you are good at this and can make it a success?". đ
If that wasn't enough, I also have a tendency to be self-sabotaging. Anyone know what that means? Well let me tell you, it means that I procrastinate lots. I do the little things first that are of no real significance and tell myself that I accomplished something. It means that when things are going well, I find a way to make them go not so well. Like cancelling classes or procrastinating or getting upset about little things instead of looking at the bigger picture.
I love what I do but I often feel like I don't deserve to be successful in it. That I'm faking it until I make it. The issue is that in my head I will never make it nor deserve to. There are many reasons why this happens and why it happens to me but that is another story for another day.
So what am I doing about it right now?
Patience for one. Be patient with yourself and kind to yourself. Know that it is not your true self that is telling you all of these things. Learn to talk to yourself as you would a friend. Which means making friends with yourself, which for me is tough to do.
Journal. If you are having a really hard time and the voice in your head is really loud try writing with 2 colours. One for the voice in your head and the other for your true self. See what each of them have to say.
Meditate. Sit in quiet and just be. Listen to the sound of your breath. Feel your breath coming in and out of your body. With practice this may help to cause a stillness in your mind.
Read. I have a ton of books around my office and house that are full of great advice and ways to work through situations and build your dreams. Most of my yoga books are helpful in this way. Find a person you admire and follow them, read what they have to write. One that I like is Mel Robbins. She is down to earth and tells it like it is. She also shows you the difficult parts of her life so it's not all just sunshine and rainbows. Although, I'm not so sure about the ice baths she has been talking about lately. đ§đ
Exercise. Move your body. Yes I teach yoga but I need to move more than just the classes I teach. I try to take a yoga class once a week to learn but also to get my body moving. It is different when you teach vs when you are the student.
Fresh Air. This is a big one for me. I love being outside except I don't like the cold so during the winter months I tend to hibernate. I very much look forward to the warmer weather of spring and especially summer. The warm sun on my face is a game changer for my day.
Do you know what all of these things have in common? They take work and practice. This in not just something that will happen over night. Nor will your dreams. Take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time, one second at a time. Whatever works for you to remember that we are all great and can have successes and build our dreams. And yes this last paragraph was written especially for myself as a reminder. Some days are going to be harder than others but try to do at least one things that moves you forward each day.