I'm Feeling the Fear and Doing It Anyway

Today it’s my turn to write about having confidence wobbles. I’m in the process of writing courses (as well as some other exciting stuff that I will hopefully be able to talk about soon) and it has woken up my imposter syndrome. It’s taken me much longer to get to the point where I’m ready to start putting things together to market this course because: 

• Who the hell am I to write courses? 
• Doesn’t everybody know what I know? 
• Do I really have anything to share that people don’t know already?

I have had to give myself a serious talking to and take my own advice, both in terms of feeling the fear and living it anyway (seriously, I am almost living in the merchandise pieces I have with that design on) and making objective assessments. So I thought I’d share with you as I practice what I preach!

Who the hell am I to write courses? 

I am a fairly successful author with some well regarded books, a couple of which have spent much of their existence bouncing around the top 100 bestselling dog books in the UK Amazon store – and one that has in the last few months done the same in the US store a few times. I am working as a tutor for a canine education provider and there’s no way I’d be doing that if I was a total nobody who knew nothing.

Doesn’t everybody know what I know? 

See again the fact that I’m tutoring for a canine education provider, including tutoring Ofqual courses. I wouldn’t be doing that unless I know the subject well – I can always learn more but I’m working on that all the time!

Do I really have anything to share that people don’t know already?

This is the tricky one for me – but I realise that my world view is distorted. Most of the people I know on social media are dog people so yes, many of them know much of what I know. And many of them know more about certain aspects of dogs than I do.

But as an individual with a history of having dogs and learning about dogs, my knowledge and perspective is always going to be a little different to everybody else.

I express myself differently to others, I have a unique voice (because we all do) and so when I speak I probably will not be saying things that are new to everybody, but they will new to somebody.

They will be more accessible to somebody.

They will be what somebody needs to hear, what they need to learn to deal with something, to understand something better.

So yes, there are people who can learn from me, just as there are so many people I can learn from. And yes, this means I am absolutely the right person to write the courses I am writing. To write the books I am writing. To write the articles I am writing. To do this other thing that I’m bursting to talk about but can’t just yet.

Does that mean I’m not scared? Not at all. I veer between excitement at all these things I’m doing and sheer terror of them. But what I am making sure of is that the terror doesn’t get to stop me. That I am feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

And you can absolutely do it too. Believe in yourself - I believe in you.

If this has resonated with you, I have a Facebook group for supporting dog people who are struggling with imposter syndrome. If you are a canine professional or canine caregiver, of you are struggling with feelings of fraudulence, that you're just not good enough, come and join our lovely supportive community, all fighting imposter syndrome together.

I also have a book titled Conquering Confidence, which helps readers to identify if they have imposter syndrome and how to help lessen its influence and impact on their lives. The link goes to the Amazon UK store, but the book is available on other Amazon stores. If you'd prefer not to give them your money, the ebook can be bought elsewhere.

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