1st Steps to Battle Imposter Syndrome & Boundary Issues

I am a self-proclaimed massive fan of the '80s, with the exception of the following....

82% of professionals battle imposter syndrome

89% of professionals struggle with setting boundaries

Both of these come back to valuing yourself and not being afraid to own what's important to you.

So, how can you start changing these feelings for yourself?

Imposter Syndrome

1. Show Proof - When negative thoughts or self-talk creep in ("I'm not good enough") immediately write down or remind yourself of the things you HAVE achieved.

Replace "I'm not good enough" with "I've delivered results in the past and I have the skills and ability to handle this."

2. Seek Feedback & Celebrate Small Wins - Create and leverage your "Personal Board of Directors" to provide constructive feedback on both opportunities for improvement, but also your strengths.

Small win celebration builds momentum. Even if it's a small task, don't be afraid to say to yourself "Well done. Let's keep it going."

Boundary Setting

1. Communicate Clearly & Firmly - Clearly express your limits and needs without feeling that you have to overexplain and/or apologize. A good example is if you're being asked to take on additional work, you can respond with:

"I'm at full capacity at this point and won't be able to take on anything else. Let's discuss prioritizing the workload."

2. Schedule Time for Yourself - If you have a gap in your calendar, chances are someone is going to try and take your time. Protect your personal time for focus work or self-care by blocking that time on your calendar. If someone is trying to take your time and you feel over obligated, simply respond with:

"I'm already committed during the time you're asking for, but I'm happy to look at other options."

I chatted about this briefly on the news not too long ago and I'm sharing the clip below.

To discuss either of these topics deeper, or if you're interested in having me come talk with your organization about these problems that we all face, please email me at rich@richbracken.com.