Milo and I raising our hand and paw and pledging #choose to challenge
This year the theme for International Womens Day on Monday 8th March 2021 is #choose to challenge.
I love to watch true story films and through these I learn so much about the journey of women over time and sometimes I’m flabbergasted how things used to be for women. I realise how far we have come but I also recognise we’ve still a long way to go to remove bia and create equality for all.
Last year I read a book that was a complete eye opener called Invisible Women by Caroline Criado - Perez which showed through data how the world we live in is designed for men from the safety of cars, the size of our mobile phone to the pharmaceutical drugs we take and we’re not thought of in the development of these.
So yes we’ve come along way but we’ve still a way to go until we until we remove bias, achieve equality and live in a world that is designed for all.
In order to do that I think that the work begins with ourselves and if you experience Imposter Syndrome then it’s choosing to challenge it.
We’ve heard of the glass ceiling in the workplace which is a metaphor that represents an invisible barrier that stops women and minorities from rising to the top positions. I don’t doubt for one second that this exists but what about the glass ceiling that we create for ourselves?
If you’re doubting your abilities and you can’t recognise or celebrate your achievements, then that will undoubtedly have an effect on how you show up. Depending on your Imposter type(s) you will judge yourself based on your type and let me tell you that your Imposter type(s) are hard task masters to please and therefore you will always feel like you fall short of the expectations it sets. Click here to take the quiz and discover your Imposter type(s).
You’re also likely to put yourself down, talk yourselves out of opportunities and hold yourself back from achieving what’s possible for you or you do achieve it but you fail to enjoy it or celebrate it.
This isn’t about positive thinking either. It’s not about just telling ourselves that we’re amazing. The world of work is changing at a rapid pace so we have to commit to continuous personal and professional development. But doubting the skills, knowledge and experience that we already have is not cool.
So choose to challenge:
the beliefs that you have about yourself, your abilities and achievements
the negative voice in your head that tells you you’re not smart enough, good enough, know enough etc
the feelings that you have that might manifest in things like anxiety - take time to discover what is causing you to feel this way
the language you use when you’re talking about yourself (in your own head and when talking to others)
the way that you communicate in person and via email. Does your communication empower you or are you apologising for taking up space
the way that you show up - start to notice the way you behave in certain situations. Are you overworking to prove your worth or avoiding situations to stay under the radar?
the way you view success and achievement
If you’re a leader in a business then think about how you can educate your teams to understand about Imposter Syndrome, how it might be affecting them and help them through it. Here’s a recent blog I wrote with some tips how to support your teams.
In terms of the wider picture choose to challenge:
The bias and inequality that we see
The way we talk about other women - check your language and make sure that the words you use to describe women is the same language that you would use to describe men
Celebrate other women’s achievements - there’s enough room for us all to thrive
So back to you. Here’s some things that you can do to take action:
investing time in your personal and professional development
challenge the way feel, think and behave
take time to reflect and see what value you add in the world
I know by choosing to challenge your Imposter and swapping this for confidence in yourself, allows you to show up in a completely different way.
You can have a bigger impact and you might just enjoy the success you’re having too.
So what’s ONE thing that you can do today to commit to challenge Imposter Syndrome?