Imposter Syndrome: Why You Feel Like a Fraud—And How to Finally Feel Worthy

Ever feel like you don’t belong? Like any second, someone’s going to call you out and say, “Hey, there’s been a mistake—you’re not supposed to be here”? That’s imposter syndrome, and guess what? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Mr. Mind Podcast, Ryan Johnson breaks down why imposter syndrome happens, why even the most successful people struggle with it, and—most importantly—how to overcome it. You’ll learn three powerful mindset shifts to rewire your thinking, stop chasing perfection, and start owning your growth. Because the truth is, you don’t have to feel ready to be ready. It’s time to step into your confidence and remind yourself—you belong because you’re becoming.

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Transcript

Ryan Johnson (00:00):

You ever walk into a room, land an opportunity, or start something new and immediately think, who let me in here? You're waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder and say, excuse me, there has been a mistake. You actually don't belong. Yeah. Well that's imposter syndrome, and let me tell you, you are not alone today. We're breaking down why it happens, how to deal with it, and most importantly, how to kick it to the curb for good. Thank you so much for tuning in to the Mr. Mind Podcast, or twice a week dose of Living Well, even though you don't feel like you're supposed to be where you are. Yes. Ladies and gentlemen, you know how that feels. Everyone does it all. It happens to all of us, right? Well, my name is Ryan Johnson and I am your mindset coach for today. I want you guys to know today, yes, we are talking about imposter syndrome.
(01:17)
We all have it. Yes, I have it too. It happens. It happens, guys, but it's not about Can we eliminate it? Yeah, I guess it is. Can we? Well, yeah, we can. I guess you're going to have to stick around and find out for your self. I do want you to know this imposter syndrome. It's not about whether you're capable or not. It's about whether you believe you are. You know what the crazy part is? The crazy part is the most successful people struggle with it the most. Maya Angelou, Tom Hanks, Albert Einstein, they all talk about feeling like a fraud sometimes, and if they felt this way, would hope do the rest of us have? But here's the thing, imposter syndrome, it happens because we think success equals perfection. We assume real experts never doubt themselves, but in reality, the people who are actually growing are the ones who experience this the most.
(02:20)
Yes, I'm going to say that again. The people who are actually growing are the ones who experience this the most. So why is that? Well, it's because they're stepping outside of their comfort zones. Think about it. The first time you tried something new, driving a car, starting a business, parenting, whatever it is, you probably felt like an imposter then too. But over time you grew into it. So imposter syndrome isn't proof you don't belong. It's proof that you're expanding. So let's get practical. I'm going to give you three mindset shifts that'll help you break out of imposter syndrome starting today. Number one, stop chasing perfection. Focus on progress. Stop chasing perfection. Perfection is the enemy of confidence. The second you realize no one has it all figured out, you start to loosen up. Instead of asking, am I good enough? Start asking, am I growing?
(03:30)
Because growth is proof that you belong. Number two, rewire the narrative from I don't belong to I am becoming. So the next time your imposter syndrome hits, I want you to reframe the thought instead of, I'm not ready. Try I am learning. Instead of I'm not qualified. Try, I'm gaining experience. Because guess what guys? Your brain will believe what you tell it. So tell us something better. Number three, look at the evidence. Guys. Look at the evidence, not the emotion. Look at the evidence because imposter syndrome, it's based on feelings, not facts and feelings. Well, they lie. They do. They lie. Oh, I got a feeling this is going to be good. And how many times of that actually turned out exactly how you thought it was going to be? They lie. You feel you're not good enough, but what do the facts say? Look at your past wins.
(04:37)
Look at your growth. Look at the times you helped someone. Keep an I Belong file. Literally a folder with proof that you're capable. Yeah, we don't carry folders around, but we have the phones. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of note taking app that you can do. I have just notes literally on my iPhone, and you're going to review those notes. When self-doubt creeps in and it will creep in. Something that we need to acknowledge is that imposter syndrome never fully disappears, right? It never fully disappears as long as you're growing. The key is recognizing it and not letting it control your decisions. You are unique, and people say it a lot, and the reason why they say it a lot is because it's true, right? Fingerprints. You are unique. Your journey is not going to be the same as someone else's. So to compare ourself to someone else is, whew, that's a bad idea.
(05:39)
That's a very bad idea. My journey of becoming where I am now, I don't know anyone else that has this journey. Does that mean people that have a different journey have it better than me, have it worse than me? No, it means that they have it differently, but they can still get to the goal. Look how big a soccer field is. One person dribbles the ball straight down and kicks it in. The goal is that the only way to score a goal. The other person goes to the left and the other person goes to the right. Does that mean that they're not going to score a goal? The other person zigzags up, kicks the ball backwards, and then goes straight into the goal. Those are all different. Now, just because they're going differently doesn't mean that they're not going to get to the goal. No, not at all. You have a unique journey. Don't hinder yourself by thinking you can't do it. Don't hinder yourself by listening to those emotions that are lying to you, telling you that you don't belong, that you should go home. That's nonsense. Don't listen, be you. I want to leave you with this thought.
(06:50)
What if imposter syndrome isn't something to overcome, but something to use? Think about it. The fact that you feel like an imposter means you care, it means you're growing. It means you're stretching. It means you're pushing past limits. So instead of fighting it, what if you use it as fuel? Let it remind you that you're on the right track because the goal isn't to eliminate, to stop letting it stop you. So the next time imposter syndrome sneaks up, remind yourself that you belong because your becoming. Keep going, keep growing, and I'll catch you on the next episode. Thank you so much for tuning into the Mr. Mind podcast. If you got anything from this, if you know someone that's suffering from imposter syndrome, feel free to send them this. That might just help, but at this moment, if you can subscribe, that'd be great. But if you can do me a favor, that would be awesome. The very last person that you sent a text message to, can you text them back and say, Hey, I hope you are having a good morning, a good afternoon, a great evening, because you never know. They just might need it.
(08:23)
Aloha.