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Negative self-talk - your own inner critic - can get in the way of your success and the thing is, you might not even be aware how much it’s affecting your life. Business and branding coach Erika Brechtel has spent 20 years working with women and she’s found three major reasons we sabotage our own career success.
She calls these problematic habits the “syndrome sisters” and they are:
- Imposter Syndrome - When people start to feel a little successful, they may start to feel guilty, like they don’t deserve it. So they downplay their accomplishments, highlight their faults and insecurities and make it seem like everything good in their lives just happened to them, Brechtel explains.
- Perfectionist Syndrome - This is holding onto the idea that you’re not allowed to fail. Brechtel says it’s especially hard for women to overcome because it’s been ingrained in us since we were little girls.
- Martyr Syndrome - Do you take care of everyone in your life because you feel like you have to? You may have Martyr Syndrome. Brechtel says this is how many women feel needed and relevant and sometimes they don’t realize that it’s a choice they’re making, so they end up feeling resentment about it.
Fortunately, Brechtel says you can kick the “syndrome sisters” to the curb and stop sabotaging your own success with these small steps:
- Step one? Recognize them in your life. Then deal with each one head-on.
- Overcome Imposter Syndrome - which is rooted in a fear of being excluded - by letting yourself and others feel comfortable expressing their true selves and calling each other out when we downplay our successes
- Combat Perfectionist Syndrome - which is rooted in fear of loss of control - by being kind to ourselves and others and understanding that “failure” isn’t the end of the road, but a chance to change direction.
- Defeat Martyr Syndrome - which is rooted in fear of irrelevance - by taking accountability for your choices, making yourself a priority and remembering that we create and are responsible for our own happiness.
Source: Hello Giggles