Imposter Syndrome: 5 Reasons Why You Should Say Yes When You Think You Should Say No

Apr 23

There’s nothing wrong with asking yourself, “Can I do this?” Especially for writers just getting into the game. The problems manifest when you ask yourself, “Should I do this? The answer is YES, and I’m going to tell you why.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is constantly feeling like you’re a fraud. It is insidious and creeps into your mind when trying to learn or become better at something, like writing. You’re SURE that others are judging you, probably laughing at you, and of course, they KNOW you can’t write anything worth even the smallest amount of compensation.

Don’t let imposter syndrome be debilitating and affect your writing and interactions with others. Instead, use it as a powerful tool to help you grow, develop, and improve with each project and professional interaction.

Here are some ways I’ve come to embrace my imposter syndrome. Hopefully, it helps some of you on your journey to becoming a freelance writer and entrepreneur–or whatever else you’re striving to be!

1. You are not the only one feeling inadequate

You may feel like everyone around you is confident in their expertise, but they probably feel the same inadequacies you are experiencing. According to the American Psychological Association, over 80% of people suffer from imposter syndrome and believe their achievements are undeserved and fraudulent.

I experience this a lot on LinkedIn. I post regularly, so when people see me putting myself out there, talking about jobs, clients, or whatever else I decide to post about, they instantly think, “Wow, she knows what she’s doing. She must be an experienced, knowledgeable, successful writer. I’m going to contact her for the advice!”

I’ve had my successes, and my experience thus far makes me knowledgeable (to some degree) about how to build a thriving business. Still, I can think of MANY other people to reach out to on LinkedIn that could give better advice. But here’s the thing, if 80% of freelance medical writers on LinkedIn suffer from imposter syndrome, then most of the other writers that person reaches out to will feel precisely the same way I do! And the majority of that 80% I would consider experts in their field. That is imposter syndrome, so you must remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

2. Turn negative thinking into positive

Dr. Valerie Young, the co-founder of Imposter Syndrome Institute (yes, there is an actual institute for this), believes in accentuating the positive. For instance, she believes if you suffer from imposter syndrome, you are most likely a perfectionist, which is something positive you can focus on since you care deeply about your work and creating something meaningful. The trick is, however, to focus on an excellent performance when it matters most and not to beat yourself up over small, insignificant happenings.

Another thing Young believes is important is to develop a healthy response to failure. As a perfectionist, the thought of failure makes my hair stand on end. I fear it, and I loathe it. Yet, I have always learned from it. If you think about it, failure results from not learning from your mistakes.

Don't dwell on things when they don’t go your way, or you screw something up. If I haven’t fulfilled an assignment up to my high standards, I admit it to myself and the client. I’ve even charged less on an invoice if my work wasn’t up to my standard or theirs. Either the client understands and appreciates the discount and calls you again, or you lose the business. But it doesn’t mean you aren’t good at what you do. Sometimes you’re not perfect, as much as you or I hate to admit it.

3. Ask others for feedback

Getting feedback on your work from others can be challenging, but it’s always necessary. Hearing someone else’s perspective on your strengths and weaknesses can help you focus on where to improve.

Avoid getting feedback in an email or a text. When you don’t hear someone’s tone of voice or inflections, your imposter syndrome will sift through the feedback and pick up on the negatives rather than the positives. In-person meetings seem like a thing of the past, but if you’re in the same town, there’s no reason why you can’t meet with your client, have a cup of coffee, and ask for feedback on your latest project. You can also include Zoom calls as face-to-face, and at least you can listen to the tone of your client’s voice and observe facial expressions.

Remember, you can’t improve something if you don’t see its imperfections, so you need to ask for feedback.

4. Be kind to yourself

Practice self-compassion. Maybe it’s time to tell your negative, inner voice to “shut up!” Unfortunately, as a freelance writer, there’s only one voice: yours. You don’t have a water cooler to stand around with your work buddies and pat each other on the back. Nope, just you.

So, maybe it’s time to make friends with yourself. Start changing the tone of your inner voice from nagging and negative to positive and forgiving. Start being the person you’d want to spend some time with and become more optimistic. After all, once you begin to accept yourself and realize you can’t be perfect all the time, self-doubt will diminish.

5. Take action toward your goals

It’s so easy to give up on yourself. So many people (including my husband) think I’m crazy for starting on the freelance writing path. After all, I’m 54 years old; I have a career in nursing, a job, and a paycheck.

I’ve always wanted to write and never thought about freelance medical writing or journalism until I realized the demand for writers. There is content EVERYWHERE!

I’ve always been natural at spelling and grammar, which gave me the confidence to pursue freelancing. I’m not great at running a business or a great marketer, but I’m working on it.

Imposter syndrome creeps up on me sometimes, but I never let it overtake my thoughts. When faced with a writing project I’ve never done, I ask myself, “Can I do this?” I think that’s a fair question. Can I take on a regulatory writing project? No way, I have no qualifications or experience with something so technically involved, and I wouldn’t try winging that one. But there are plenty of other projects I’ve never done that I have no doubt I can take on.

Remember, not only CAN you do it, you SHOULD do it!

Allison DeMajistre