It encourages you to acknowledge progress.
It helps you to monitor what works well.
It reinforces effective behaviors.
It releases “feel-good” chemicals to your brain.
The more you recognize and celebrate the joys in your life, the more these will magnify. Allow this to overshadow your self-doubt to remedy your Imposter Syndrome.
Be an advocate for supportive environments
Supportive environments are important for promoting positive self-worth of individuals and communities. Environments that enable people to express their individuality can help them to recognize their abilities and flourish.
Studies have shown that satisfaction with the work environment is associated with overall job satisfaction, lower job stress and emotional exhaustion. A systematic review published in the BMC Public Health also showed how poor work environments are linked to depressive symptoms among employees. Job strain, inability to make decisions at work, and bullying were the strongest predictors of depressive symptoms. Other contributing factors, albeit slightly less predictive, were psychological demands, imbalance between effort and reward, low support, unfairness and injustice at work, conflicts, limited use of skills, job insecurity, and long working hours.
Similarly, at home and in our communities, children and young people need supportive environments to develop their potential. In a recent systematic review published in the Lancet, safe and supportive families, schools, and peers have been shown to be crucial factors that enable children and young people to transition positively to adulthood.
Whether you are a workplace manager, parent, teacher, mentor, policy maker, or community leader, it is important to recognize that the environment matters in promoting positive self-worth and overcoming self-doubt. In the workplace, embed a culture that fosters supportive working relationships. At home, cultivate growth mindsets by encouraging learning, without fear of judgment or failure. In the community, provide opportunities for people to contribute their skills and expertise so others can benefit and learn from them as well.
Yes, the Imposter Syndrome is an internal dialogue that runs inside a person’s head. But a supportive environment can help individuals recognize their true worth and set themselves free from unhelpful self-doubt.
7
THE 30-DAY PAME ACTION PLAN TO EFFECTIVELY REMEDY IMPOSTER SYNDROME
This chapter outlines the strategies discussed in this book to help you remedy your Imposter Syndrome. It follows a 30-day PAME plan to help you take small actionable steps every day.
Use this plan as a guide and feel free to amend it to suit your needs. However, I would advise allocation of a specific time during the day for this 30-day plan. Consistent and focused action is crucial.
Some of these action points could take 15 minutes. Others could take an hour. Read through this whole chapter before you start implementing the plan so you can anticipate the activities and the amount of time you may need for each task.
You are also encouraged to download the FREE PAME Code Workbook to Remedy your Imposter Syndrome in 30 days to record and monitor your reflections and progress.
Are you ready to remedy your Imposter Syndrome in 30 days?
Then PAME!
(Let’s go together!)
Days 1-5: Preparations
Before tackling your Imposter Syndrome, you will need to lay the groundwork first so you have a steady foundation for your efforts (see Chapter 2). The first five days will involve recognizing the issue, personifying your inner critic, reflecting on the consequences of Imposter Syndrome, making a commitment to change, and finding someone to keep you accountable to change.
Day 1: Take the Imposter Syndrome test. Before you can commit to change, you first need to recognize the need for change. Take the Imposter Syndrome test to assess whether you are experiencing symptoms and to examine the severity to which these exist. Click here to take the test. Take note of your score and record it in the workbook.
Day 2: Personify your inner critic. The messages that perpetuate Imposter Syndrome often come from your inner critic. By personifying your inner critic, you make a conscious decision to be aware of what it is saying and reflect on what you need to do about it. Draw an image of your inner critic in the space provided in the workbook and list the messages it often tells you.
Day 3: Reflect on the consequences of Imposter Syndrome. Understanding that Imposter Syndrome has an impact on you and others around you makes this problem real and personal. Spend this day reflecting on the consequences of not taking action to remedy your Imposter Syndrome and how dealing with it will make your life better. There are guide questions in the workbook that can help. Be sure to write down your reflections.
Day 4: Make a commitment to change. This is important. Do not skip this step. If you really want to make lasting change, you need to declare and make a commitment to this change. You need to be clear about what change you want in your life before you can take action to make it happen. In this case, you can make a commitment to remedy your Imposter Syndrome. Write down your commitment in words that make sense to you. For example, “I commit to stop doubting myself and what I am capable of.” You can write this down in the workbook or place it where you will see it every day to remind yourself of this commitment.
Day 5: Make yourself accountable by finding a "buddy" or a mentor. The essence of PAME is that you do not need to go through this process on your own. We can “go together”. Find someone who can share this journey with you and keep you accountable to your commitment to change. Set some days to meet your buddy and write these down in the workbook.
Alternatively, you may also join the PAME Code Facebook Group so you can share your commitment to change with others. I have set up this group so we can keep each other accountable to our commitments to change, offer encouragement and support during rough times, and celebrate our successes together. Click here to join the group today.
Days 6-10: Purpose
Having a sense of purpose is a core component of the PAME Code. Your purpose can help to drive your actions and keep you motivated to pursue your life-long goals (see Chapter 3). The next five days will involve using the PASTLE technique to enable you to reflect on your purpose in life. You will also need to make a positive affirmation of this purpose, and to create a mental image of your ideal future scenario. This process can help remedy your Imposter Syndrome by reminding you to let your purpose be the driving force in your life.
Day 6: PASTLE (Part 1): What is your passion? Spend this day reflecting on what you are most passionate about. To get some inspiration, you can go through these 23 questions to help you reconnect with your passion. Write down your thoughts in the workbook.
Day 7: PASTLE (Part 2): What are your strengths? Spend this day reflecting on your strengths. What are you good at? What character strengths do you have? To get some inspiration, you can take the character strength survey through this link. List your strengths in the workbook.
Day 8: PASTLE (Part 3): What will be your legacy? Spend this day reflecting on what you want to contribute in your lifetime. How will you be remembered? What problems will you have solved (or created) in your life? What circumstances will exist because of the things you have done? You may consider writing an autobituary (your own obituary) to aid in this process. Record this in the workbook.
Day 9: Make a positive affirmation of your purpose. Review your notes from the PASTLE technique (days 6-8) and use them to construct your statement of purpose. Make this statement personal to you. Write it down in the workbook.
Day 10: Create a mental image of yourself free from fear, worry, and/or self-doubt. Go through the mental imagery exercise to imagine yourself free from fear, worry, and self-doubt. Write in your workbook how this exercise made you feel. You are encouraged to embed mental imagery in your daily routine to reinforce in your mind this positive image of yourself.
Days 11-21: Action with Momentum
Taking action and maintaining mome
ntum are very important if you want lasting change in your life. However, our thoughts can interfere with our intentions and ability to take action. Being mindful of these thoughts can help you to understand what blocks your actions and how you can alter these barriers (see Chapters 4 and 5). For the next 11 days, you are encouraged to:
Identify your Performance Interfering Thoughts (PITs); and
Convert these into Performance Enhancing Thoughts (PETs)
Day 11: Identify your PITs (Part 1): Your attitudes toward action. Your thoughts and attitudes toward action can influence whether you take action or not. Spend some time today reflecting on the messages you tell yourself about action. How do you feel about action? What stops you from getting something done? What are the potential risks and benefits of taking action? What are the potential risks and benefits of NOT taking action? Write down your thoughts in the workbook and identify the top 3 PITs that block you from taking action.
Day 12: Identify your PITs (Part 2): Your attitudes toward success. For people with Imposter Syndrome, internalizing success can be a big issue. Spend some time today reflecting on the messages you tell yourself about success. How do you feel about success? What stops you from embracing success? Do you tell yourself that you do not deserve your achievements? If so, what are the reasons you tell yourself you do not deserve them? List your thoughts in the workbook and identify the top 3 PITs that block you from owning your success.
Day 13: Identify your PITs (Part 3): Your perfectionist tendencies. Perfectionism can be good if you know how to manage it. The trouble with Imposter Syndrome is that it stems from maladaptive perfectionist standards that could be harmful to you (see Chapter 1). Reflect on your perfectionist tendencies by asking whether your expectations are too high, rigid, or unrealistic. Answer the guide questions in the workbook and identify your top 3 PITs that fuel maladaptive perfectionism.
Day 14: Identify your PITs (Part 4): Your mindset. Mindset is very important when you are trying to remedy your Imposter Syndrome. Having a fixed mindset can restrict opportunities for learning and development (see Chapter 1). Answer the guide questions concerning mindset in the workbook and identify the top 3 PITs that restrict your willingness and ability to learn and grow.
Days 15-18: Use the TLC questioning sequence. Since you have already listed your performance interfering thoughts (PITs), you can now consider converting these into performance enhancing thoughts (PETs) using the TLC questioning sequence (see Chapter 5). Go through each PIT listed in the workbook and ask: 1) Is it true? 2) Is it logical? 3) Is it constructive?
You can focus on:
Part 1: Your attitudes toward action (day 15)
Part 2: Your attitudes toward success (day 16)
Part 3: Your perfectionist tendencies (day 17)
Part 4: Your mindset (day 18)
Use the workbook to write your notes and convert your PITs into PETs
Day 19: Collect evidence, if needed. After reviewing your PITs, it is possible that some of these will require further evidence to complete the TLC questioning sequence. For example, if one of your PITs is “I don’t communicate well with others, therefore I shouldn’t become a leader”, then you may need to collect evidence to answer whether this PIT is true, logical, or constructive. Go through your PITs once more. Consider which PITs require further evidence, reflect on what kind of evidence you may need, and start collecting the evidence today. Keep a record and track your progress in your workbook.
Day 20: Reflect on the evidence. If you started collecting evidence yesterday, then you can spend some time today to reflect on what the evidence is telling you about your PITs and how you can convert these into PETs. Write down some notes in the workbook and reflect on what you are learning about yourself based on the emerging evidence.
Day 21: Discuss your PITs and PETs with your buddy. Meet up with your buddy to discuss how you have converted your PITs into PETs. This could also be your opportunity to talk to your buddy if there are other PITs on your list that you are unable to convert into a PET. Ask if they can go through the TLC questioning sequence with you to help you in this process. Record new insights from this meet-up in your workbook.
Days 22-30: Energy
It is important to keep your positive energy up to maintain your progress (see Chapter 6). The final week of this 30-day plan focuses on how you can stay out of the Imposter Syndrome Cycle by recognizing, appreciating, and sharing the good things in your life.
Day 22: Start a gratitude journal. One way to remedy your Imposter Syndrome is to recognize the positive aspects in your life. Magnify what is going well in your life and watch it grow. Spend some time today answering the question: “what are you thankful for in your life?” Write your answers down in the workbook. List at least 3 to begin with. Keep adding new entries to this list as you continue with this journey.
Day 23: Take time to notice simple pleasures in life. Those with Imposter Syndrome often have difficulty appreciating the good things in life. Nothing is ever good enough for them. Today, spend some time noticing and appreciating the simple pleasures in life. Be mindful of how the taste of your favorite cup of coffee makes you feel ready for the day, or how a simple smile from someone you love brightens your mood. Take note of at least 3 simple pleasures that you noticed today and write down your reflections in the workbook.
Day 24: Be mindful of the positives. Imposter Syndrome can sometimes restrict our perceptions by causing us to focus only on the negatives. Today, focus your attention and notice when your mind, or lips, express something negative about something or someone, including yourself. If you notice that a criticism is about to slip out, then try to balance this by looking for something positive in the scenario. For example, if you are getting irritated because of the noise coming from the neighbor’s kids – even if it is just for today – try to look for something positive in the situation (e.g., They are noisy, but it sounds like they are having fun. The kids sound happy today). Take note of how looking for something positive from the negatives made you feel today and write your insights from this exercise in the workbook.
Day 25: Embrace and appreciate compliments. People with Imposter Syndrome may have difficulty accepting compliments. The exercise for today is simple: be mindful of how you react to compliments. If someone gives you a compliment, notice how it made you feel and how you reacted. Write these down in your workbook and keep track of the compliments and your reactions as you progress in this journey. Notice any patterns in your reactions and consider changing unhelpful responses to compliments (if you have any).
Day 26: Start and/or update your "catalog of wins". One way to accumulate evidence to answer to your inner critic PITs is by keeping a record of your successes and achievements, no matter how big or small. For today, write in your workbook the top 5 achievements that you are most proud of in your life. Keep adding entries to this list and revisit it when you need evidence of your accomplishments in your life.
Day 27: Celebrate your accomplishments and share your joy with others. This is another key component in this plan. The task today is to spend some time celebrating something that you have accomplished over the past 27 days and share this joy with someone else. This celebration doesn’t have to be grand. You can simply share your joy through a message on social media, or have a sit-down meal with your loved ones to celebrate your accomplishment, no matter how small. When you complete this task, write down some reflections on how this made you feel in the workbook.
Day 28: Sign up to be a mentor. One way to “pay forward” all these good vibes that you’ve been getting these past few days is by signing up to be a mentor yourself. Not only will this help remedy your Imposter Syndrome by making you recognize that you have knowledge and skills that you can share with someone else, but doing this can also have a positive impact on someone who may be experiencing similar fears and doubts as you have had. Look for opportunities TODAY to mentor someone in your community or in your workplace. If you don’t know of any opportunities,
search online, ask your friends or colleagues, go through the yellow pages, ask someone in your church, or someone from human resources at work. If you search for it, sooner or later, you will find it. When you do, schedule your first meet-up with your mentee and write down your reflections in the workbook.
Day 29: Be an advocate for supportive environments. If we really want to remedy Imposter Syndrome, we need to do something about our living and working environments to make them conducive to promoting positive self-worth and respect. If you are in a position whereby you can influence change in the environment – whether you are a manager at work, a parent at home, a pastor in your church, or a leader in your community – make a pledge TODAY to do something about the culture and environment around you. Use your influence to help others to improve their wellbeing by promoting supportive environments that will help them to recognize and fulfil their potential. Write down this commitment in the workbook, tell your buddy about this commitment (so you keep yourself accountable), identify your first action step, and schedule a date in your diary when you will take the first step to implement this commitment.
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