SPONSORED BY:

A few weeks ago, I shared how to get unstuck in your career.

But what if you do everything and still feel like you haven’t “made it”?

That’s imposter syndrome.

Today, I’ll teach you how to embrace it - and why.

A MESSAGE FROM THEFUTUREPARTY

Keep up with the future

The world’s moving faster than ever and there’s no sign of things slowing down.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Here’s how:

TheFutureParty newsletter dissects the business of entertainment and culture – all in a quick and witty package. Join 200k+ driven professionals and learn how industry trends shape the future with every story you read.

Interested in sponsoring Level Up? Learn more and apply here.

“Between perfectionism and procrastination…my dreams die in front of me.”

Can you relate?

There’s just so much to learn. And learning can be hard. Especially when you see others doing way better than you.

It’s even harder to pick where to start.

This is what someone confessed to me:

And they’re not alone.

You’ve done more than you realize

Feeling like you should be doing more?

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve already accomplished a lot.

You just don’t realize it.

Maybe you worked in quality assurance or as a virtual assistant, and you want to break into data analysis or product management.

Your unique life experiences can help.

For example, product management student Ayomide didn’t realize she had already been doing product management duties before she started studying.

If you’ve ever planned a get-together with friends or family, you’ve probably used product management frameworks without even realizing it.

So don’t sell yourself short.

Imposter syndrome is a good sign

Having imposter syndrome urges you to take action.

You might feel uncomfortable - like you haven’t truly “made it.”

Use this discomfort to improve.

Learn, grow, and become a better version of yourself.

So don’t be scared of imposter syndrome - instead, be scared of stagnation.

That’s when you stop learning and stay stuck.

Here’s what to do next to embrace imposter syndrome

1. Focus on the process, not the outcome

My self worth has always been tied to results. Instead of doing something, I sit on the sidelines with analysis paralysis because I’m afraid to fail.

Focusing on the process is easier said than done. Maybe you truly enjoy learning, but it’s just so hard to make time for it. Life gets busy.

But you can make it easier to enjoy learning. Creating a nice study environment and listening to study music is one way.

Check out this article for more tips.

2. Create a habit checklist

Break down your goals into more manageable pieces, and turn them into habits.

This is the best way to achieve your career goals: systematizing it into habits.

Let’s say you want to land a job in tech by the end of 2023.

A habit you could track is “number of jobs applied to per week.”

Check out this guide for more examples, and this article on 10 habits of successful job seekers.

You can also download this learning habit checklist or create your own on Canva.

3. Embrace failure

Failing at something just means you learned what doesn’t work.

The more failures you have, the closer you are to success.

Because it just means you’ve learned more from trying all these different things than someone who’s tried nothing at all.

4. Join a community

It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re learning alone.

That’s why every successful job seeker I’ve talked to recommends joining a community.

You’ll:

• Learn faster through finding opportunities and resources

• Get feedback to improve

• Feel more motivated when seeing others succeed

Summary

Imposter syndrome pushes you to improve yourself.

Here’s how to embrace it:

1. Focus on the process, not the outcome

2. Create a habit checklist

3. Embrace failure

4. Join a community

Once you make this mindset change, your actions will change too.

And when you take consistent action towards your career goals, success will come naturally.