Hi everyone,
Day 25 of the ‘30 Ways To Play With Your Imposter Syndrome’ Challenge.
In case you don’t know:
FOMO is an informal popular term that stands for ‘Fear Of Missing Out’.
Your FOMO can used well. Or it can be used badly.
Today’s post is about using it well.
Today’s theme:
What’s more important to you than your imposter syndrome?
Today’s story:
Private schools ban mobile phones
Key quotes:
“Private and public schools are joining a mobile phone ban to reduce stress and ‘warped views on reality’.
Private boys school Newington College joined Shore School and Tara Anglican School for Girls, which are all based in Sydney, by telling students to keep mobile phones in their lockers from the beginning of the fourth term.
In a notice issued to students, Newington will allow them to briefly check messages at recess and lunch, and parents can contact their sons via the school reception office, Fairfax News reported.
A growing number of schools including Deniliquin High School are instituting the ban, blaming mobiles for lowered concentration and heightened stress levels.
“Constant interruptions of messages and calls, fear of missing out and distraction led to increased stress and poor concentration.”
Schools banning mobile phones have reported increases in students engagement and conversation during breaks as well as physical activity.”
Deniliquin High School’s mobile phone ban:
“On day one of the ban, the school tweeted, ‘It was fabulously noisy in the yard today as students were busy talking to each other at recess and lunch instead of playing on their phones!’.”
The ability to disconnect can be a powerful one.
To be able to get away from distraction, stress, and interruption.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy.
But the rewards are great.
Because you get space to connect to other more important things instead.
Imposter syndrome can be like the students’ mobile phones.
It pings. It alarms. It interrupts. It distracts. It stresses.
It does this with the fear… that you’re not good enough.
That you’re a fraud.
That your work is unworthy of the praise people give it.
And it blocks you from focusing on what you should.
Now, I can’t just say “stop having imposter syndrome”.
But wouldn’t it be great to just disconnect from it sometimes?
To move forward without fear and doubt and just DO something?
What does imposter syndrome stop YOU from doing?
What does it make you miss out on?
Does it stop you from:
- Going for that job?
- Clicking send on that email?
- Offering your valuable services?
- Reaching out and contacting successful people?
- Sharing your opinion?
- Letting you do the best work you could do if you believed in yourself?
This is what I do…
… when I have a clear goal in mind…
… but imposter syndrome gets in the way.
I ask myself… how important is that goal to me?
Is my fear or anxiety more important to me than getting it done?
Let’s say I’m writing an email to a ‘Somebody’ when I’m just a nobody.
Should I even bother to hit ‘send’?
What if they never email back?
Will that confirm my lack of my worth?
Thoughts like that used to paralyse me.
Not as much anymore.
In times like that…
Opening myself up to opportunity is more important than my imposter syndrome.
I don’t want to miss out.
So I do it.
The same with job offers.
And the same with sharing my opinion.
Doesn’t mean it’s easy.
But I do it anyway.
(And whaddya know, I’ve found it tends to get easier over time – Hooray!)
Although I can’t always just disconnect my imposter syndrome…
… I CAN imagine what I would do if I didn’t have it.
And then judge which course of action means more to me:
The one where I let imposter syndrome get in the way.
Or the one where I didn’t.
How about you?
When you have two courses of action…
… to imposter syndrome, or not to imposter syndrome…
… to fear, or to hope…
… which is more important for you?
Which best represents what you value?
Your actions will reveal the answer.
If you want to change the answer, (and show what you REALLY care about), change your actions.
Best of luck,
Lucus “My imposter syndrome can’t come to the phone right now” Allerton
Screenshot proof below:
(You’ll see it only if you have images enabled.)
Taken 2018-11-25 at 12.36.29 am