You’ve finally decided to follow your dreams and live life on your own terms as a virtual assistant and everything is going well. You’re learning new skills, gaining clients, and making an income doing something you love.
Suddenly, you start to feel like maybe you don’t know what you’re doing after all, and people are going to discover that you’re a fraud.
If you’ve ever felt this way you are not alone.
These feelings are known as imposter syndrome and most people experience it at some point in their lives. Luckily, it doesn’t have to hold you back from being successful.
Let’s break down what exactly imposter syndrome is and how you can stop it from holding you back!
What Is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome, as defined in Psychology Today, is “a pattern of behavior where people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.”
Sound familiar? Well you, my friend, are not a fraud and you’re not alone in having these thoughts!
Beginner VAs to veterans and everyone in between have grappled with imposter syndrome at some point and come out successful on the other side.
When trying something new, there is often fear and self-doubt. These feelings are normal, but you can’t let them get the best of you. Imposter syndrome can rob you of self-confidence and lead you to sabotage your success. We do not want that!
How can I snap out of imposter syndrome?
There is no magic pill to cure imposter syndrome, but there are many ways to overcome it. Let’s look at five ways to beat imposter syndrome as you continue your journey as a Virtual Assistant.
1. Awareness Is Half the Battle
Awareness is a simple, but also challenging concept to find. You realize you’re having these feelings, but how do you get to the root of them?
Many factors may come into play, some going back to your childhood upbringing, current living environment, negative self-talk, and other life experiences. Being aware of your thoughts and feelings is the first step to overcoming them.
Learning how to make sense of what you feel and, more importantly, what motivates you is super important. Taking the time to confront these feelings may be uncomfortable, but it is critical to getting past them.
Keep track of the thoughts you have when imposter syndrome pops up.
Start a journal, make a spreadsheet, or put sticky notes everywhere. Use a method that works for you. Do this for a week (or more). Putting it all out there to read in black and white will help you to see your thought patterns and begin your steps toward changing them.
2. Open Up About It
It can be scary to share with others what you’re feeling and what is going on in your mind but trust me, it helps. Pour your heart out to a family member, trusted friend, or even a mental health professional.
Letting out what is bottled up within your heart and mind is so needed to gain perspective and move forward.
When imposter syndrome creeps up on you, and you share your feelings with others, you will be amazed to discover what you thought of yourself is not at all what other people perceive! It can put that negative self-talk into perspective.
So, take a moment to take a deep breath and share your concerns with those you trust as you move forward to better things ahead in your VA journey!
For example, in my 90 Day VA program, I have an exclusive, private Facebook group just for the community members to share their wins, their struggles and hold each other accountable. It’s not rare that one member will share their struggle with imposter syndrome and other members will chime in to say they can relate and share their own tips of wisdom.
Community can be so impactful in reminding you that you are not alone in your feelings and that you have others who support you and believe in you even when you don’t quite believe in yourself yet!
3. You Got the Skills to Pay Those Bills
Becoming a VA comes with all sorts of goodness. You can be your own boss, set your own schedule, travel to your dream destinations, and do all of this while you’re anywhere in the world. Anywhere!
And you can get started with just a handful of skills as a VA.
“Skills. What skills?” you may be asking.
Believe it or not, you have a skill set that can and will help move you from one area of expertise to another.
Some examples include…
- You enjoy working with people and know how to handle any problem that pops up. Guess what? You can work in customer service!
- You enjoy writing and can craft sentences in such a way that readers will take up a cause or buy a product. Guess what? You can work as a copywriter or email marketer.
- You love creating connections with people and have an eye for the creative. Guess what? Social media management may be your thing!
The skills you already possess may need some fine-tuning, but you already have the foundational skills needed to work online! Just have confidence and showcase what you already own.
And if you’re really looking to develop in-demand online skills, I invite you to check out my free intro class on how to get started as a Virtual Assistant where I go through all the skills a VA can offer!
(Spoiler: there are WAY more services that you can offer than you could possibly imagine!)
4. Building Connections
Once you begin to see (and start to believe) what you’re capable of, you’ll become happier and more self-confident. Along the way, you will notice that you are not alone. You will start to connect with others and begin to build a community.
It’s a great feeling to know that you have a support system that not only knows what you’re going through but understands the “why.” Finding a VA community to surround yourself with that accepts you for YOU is a great feeling.
You can join an online community group (e.g., Facebook) or even find local VAs that share workspaces at a local cafe. However you find your community support, know that it is out there, you just have to build those connections.
The best part is you can pay it forward to the next person that will be going through a similar experience.
Reach out and see what happens!
5. Celebrate Your Successes
Living a life as a VA can be lonely, especially when no one really ‘gets it.’ You may hear questions like:
- “Who works online?”
- “How do you make your money?”
- “Why don’t you get a real job?”
Don’t let that negative self-talk and other chattering noise of others get the best of you. Know your worth.
You’ve got this! Don’t forget to CELEBRATE EVERY SUCCESS!
It doesn’t matter if it is a small one, celebrate it anyway! It’s your milestone on your journey toward success.
Are you still having doubts?
The 90 Day VA program was created to help people all over the world realize their dreams of working online. It will help you set up your Virtual Assistant career so you can start working with clients with skills you already have or pick up along the way.
The private Facebook community you will become a part of is full of people on the same journey as you. They are lifting each other up in difficult times and celebrating their wins together. That is priceless.
So whenever you hear the whisperings of imposter syndrome starting up, use the tips outlined here to overcome it. It doesn’t have to hold you back, and it certainly shouldn’t define your life.
If you’re interested in learning more about virtual assisting check out my FREE CLASS where I break it all down for you.
And if you’re ready to live life on your own terms and join an awesome community of like-minded individuals check out my 90 Day VA program.
