“I’m An Imposter” and other destructive self-beliefs.
This is something that has fascinated me ever since I learned that imposter syndrome was an actual thing, and surprisingly common.
Imposter syndrome is psychological occurrence where someone doubts what they have achieved, the skills of talents that they have developed or learned, up to the point where you feel like a fraud. Like you have not earned the praise, qualification, or skill that you have earned. For me it has also been a case of feeling judged by those who I felt were the experts, often people I see as having “made” it. But the strange thing is that there is a good chance that they have felt the same way. Doubting that you have earned what you have achieved, or done, can be very destructive to you self-image, and this can flow over into other areas.
Something I have found in working with clients over a good period is the fact that some feel like they are being judged by others in a gym. In fact, this belief can often be a huge barrier to going to a gym in the first place, I know when I started (at the ripe age of 43ish) that I felt that. But I have come to understand that this barrier is mostly me, internal, in fact the gym that I have ended up, SkyFit24, has been such a supportive place over the years, where gym members have supported each other, and generally have a hell of a lot of fun.
These types of thoughts are completely natural but can be a real challenge to overcome, and to me there is no magic snap of the fingers to help address this However, I have found that having a space where you can be comfortable, not judged and be supported can help you along the way. I know it has been for me. Starting out on my health journey, a “few” years ago (Time flies!) I consider myself blessed that I was introduced to a gym where that feeling of belonging has always been encouraged, and still is. I have tried to ensure that this belonging, added with the belief that it is truly never too late, comes through in the work I do with my clients.
Being able to use a private space, The Loft, where I can take people to, with out a lot of people around, has been a big plus. I have been able to take people to this environment, help them build themselves up physically and to be more comfortable with themselves. Once you can do that, remove some of the more destructive self-beliefs, and replace them with more positives, celebrate the successes YOU have EARNED, then you are well on the way. No pun intended, but the sky’s the limit at that point, so why not aim high, or as one local bike shop had in their window “DO EPIC S$%T” It’s worth the effort!
