How to Stay Focused When Imposter Syndrome Hits

It’s time to push the noise aside and figure out what it is that YOU want to do so you can stay focused on your own goals and not chase someone else’s dream of $20K months.

Of course, if $20K months is your goal, that’s awesome – I’m here for it. But what I’m saying is the online world can get noisy and sometimes, we mistake someone else’s goals for our own. Combined with everyone having something to say about the right way to market and grow your business. It all gets into your head so much that it becomes harder and harder to focus.

Now you’re totally buggin’ and imposter syndrome creeps in. You don’t feel like you amount to some of your peers, you platform-hop because everyone has a favorite and their strategy for it works, and you’re generally feeling unwell about your business all together.

I get it. Business is hard but it doesn’t have to be that hard. Sometimes the narratives and strategies that get into your head the most are the most toxic for you.

There are some practical ways to stay focused when all those opinions get to be too much.

A little caveat … it goes beyond self-care

Ok, I get it. Self-care is important and I’ve had some a-ha moments when I’ve taken a day off to brainstorm … but it’s a generic way to give advice. Everyone already knows that they need to “take some time for yourself!” but it is not always that simple and it’s not going to be a cure-all.

Same with telling people to meditate, journal, yoga, etc. Not everyone is into that and that’s just fine. That’s why I’m giving you simple and practical tips and leaving the self-care stuff up to you.

That being said …

Determine Your Path

Your path is unlike anyone else’s so don’t assume that because they’re successful on Instagram that you will be too. You need to define success in your eyes. What does that look like for you?

Whether your goal is $3K months, $7K, $10K, or beyond – embrace the baby steps. This will make your business growth much more sustainable than to suddenly get a surge of new clients which pushes you over that next level. And let’s be real, going from $2K (or even $5K) to $10K is quite a big jump.

You also need to look at other factors like the number of clients you can serve at the same time or what makes the most sense for you in this season of your life. Don’t forget to evaluate what’s going on in your personal life because that will affect your capacity in your business.

Like for me, I decided that I can have two monthly done-for-you clients, TOPS. And then sprinkle in some projects and intensives. I finally came to that realization and lemme tell ya, it was incredibly freeing when I let go of the unreasonable expectations I put on myself.

Figure Out What Works For You

Of allll the marketing methods and platforms out there, what do YOU want to use? What do YOU have fun with? Jumping on the (insert platform) train isn’t going to sustain your business if you have to force yourself to do it.

Start jotting down what you like and don’t like. It really is that simple. You don’t have to dive into the strategy for each one just yet. For now, just get your list going.

Then guess what, you get to determine how you use the platforms. For example,  I always say that I don’t like using Instagram for business. And while that’s true because I don’t like keeping up with a lot of the business strategies and trends, I do like connecting with others there. So in a sense, I do like it for business but only if I do it my way. That means I may not post 3-5 times a week, use Stories all day every day, and do all sorts of Reels.

Update – July 2024: I deactivated my business Instagram & Threads and it’s been amazing! I decided to go back to the basics for a while and see how that treats me. Blog/Pinterest and email marketing is what I’m giving a whirl.

Take Social Media Breaks

As we know, social media typically shows the highlight reel. It doesn’t usually present all the struggles, especially in-depth. Behind the scenes, everyone is struggling with something even if their online presence is showing otherwise. For some, posting the best parts is right for them. For others, it helps to show the hard parts too. There really isn’t a right or wrong here.

That’s why it’s so important to just take a freakin’ break when things get to be too much. You’re gonna see so much online that gives you mixed feelings, makes you feel inadequate, and ends up bringing you down.

Taking a social media break can do wonders! Set up a screen time limit to avoid the social platforms that are bogging you down the most. If you wanna take it a step further and delete the app, go for it.

Remove Toxic People From Your Life

Whether toxicity appears in your online or offline life, shake that shit up and remove those who are occupying your mental space too much. You don’t owe them a thing. If they’re too much for you, delete.

Unfollow social media, unsubscribe from email lists, leave Facebook groups, limit interaction. Don’t overthink it.

Also, remember that your non-biz peeps will not understand your life as an entrepreneur. It’s just how the cookie crumbles. Maybe as a whole, they are a great person but they sometimes make comments about your business that really irk ya. It’s ok to avoid discussing anything biz-related with them. They won’t understand the problems you face and the choices & investments you make.

Remember, toxicity doesn’t necessarily mean the masses also think it’s toxic. If it’s giving you imposter syndrome, if it’s making your head spin, if it annoys you … it’s toxic for you. Let it go.

Set Bite-Sized Goals

It’s easy to get carried away with the big goals but it really helps to set small goals that eventually lead to the big goal. Being able to hit those mini-goals (and celebrate them) keeps you going when things get tough.

Having big goals is not a bad thing by any means buuut it typically takes longer to reach them which means it can be hard to stay motivated when you get into a funk. Your goals can seem even further away.

So take the next big goal you wanna reach and break it down into smaller pieces. It doesn’t have to be monetary – whatever makes sense for you. Maybe it’s the number of clients, maybe it’s more freedom in your life.

When you reach those mini-goals, celebrate that shit! You deserve it!