Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is when you are doing something you have never done before or when you are in a room with people that you don’t feel you belong with.

“This is not me,” you say.  

Maybe it’s not – YET.  

I have felt this way many times in business, socially, and in sports.

Do it, and do it again, and you start to feel it is you.

Feeling like you don’t belong, aren’t ready, or aren’t worthy is normal when you are becoming more.

That’s how you grow.

Take Responsibility

No blaming.  No “poor me”.  

Take responsibility.

For all of it.

That’s how you take control of your life.

The dance between expectations and reality

If we have low expectations, we will accomplish little and put up with much that we should not.

If our expectations are too high, we set ourselves up for disappointment when reality doesn’t meet them.

Always do your best.  Always have high expectations.

But there are times when lowering your expectations can lower frustration and disappointment, and increase your happiness and satisfaction.

There is no point in creating mental suffering from your own misplaced expectations.

Don’t win the race to the bottom.

The problem with the race to the bottom is that you might win.

When things start getting ugly, take the high road.

Am I going to be changed by this?

The best adventures have you coming back a different person.

When my son and I decided to race the longest off-road race in the world, we entered a daunting challenge, not knowing what we were doing.  Little did I know it would change everything for me. I learned about myself and my body.  I learned about preparation and confidence like never before. I met new people in new places and saw new things. It turned into an 11-year (so far) multi-part adventure that took me around the world.

The best adventures don’t merely give you photographs – they change you.  They stretch your resources and perspectives.

It doesn’t have to be climbing Mt. Everest.  It could be going to a Chamber of Commerce meeting, finding a company leader, and asking four prepared, intelligent questions.  It could change you.

It could be going to a climbing gym and getting out of your comfort zone.  (I did that, and ended up building my own climbing gym myself and introducing many, many people to climbing for the first time.)

It could be volunteering at a place you’d never have thought of before.

There is no shortage of exciting adventures you can take to get out of your groove and change your life.

What’s next?