Feel Like a Fraud? Blame It On Luck!

Beware of leprechauns bearing pots of gold. You may be tempted to say “What luck!” This isn’t luck, it’s a red flag. That leprechaun is impersonating your hard work, growth, and decisions that brought you to the symbolic pot of gold. Offering what has risen in your life as a success, joy, or abundance over to luck is like giving away your own fortune.

Luck: the force that causes things, especially good things, to happen to you by chance and not as a result of your own efforts or abilities. (Cambridge English Dictionary)

I have a good luck charm. It lives within view of my writing space. It may not be “magic,” but it’s a powerful reminder of what I can accomplish. It’s not luck but hard work, skill, and determination that manifests my goals and dreams.

When was the last time you truly owned your own worth, effort, skill, or strength?

According to research, most of us downplay our strength and effort, handing over our achievements, joy, and success to “luck,” or simply minimizing the significance of the outcome of our own labor.

According to The Promotion Gap, “A majority of women (83%) have been inspired by hearing women talk about their successes and accomplishments, but 7 in 10 (69%) women would rather minimize their successes.”

There’s a name for that!

Imposter Syndrome: the belief that one's successes are the product of luck or fraud rather than skill.

A recent study of women in corporate America found “75% of executive women identified having experienced imposter syndrome at various points during their careers—and 85% believe it is commonly experienced by women across corporate America.”

Imposter syndrome reaches far beyond the corporate world. I don’t need to tell you that, chances are you’ve probably experienced this at some point in your life.

In my own life, Imposter Syndrome has been the shadow of self-doubt I thought I’d never shake. Perfectionist comparison was the taskmaster of self-sabotage and procrastination:

“I can never be as good as….”

“I don’t have the experience…”

“It’s too late for….”

“They’re just saying xxx to be nice.”

Sound familiar? None of these statements are true. They’re a reflection of imposter syndrome fueling self-doubt and fear of failure.

What if instead of telling myself I’m not, I told myself I am…

Strong, smart, a survivor, creative, hard-working, etc?

“We surveyed a nationally representative group of 1,016 American adults (517 women and 499 men) and found that, as a whole, the majority of women avoid talking about their strengths and accomplishments.” The Self Promotion Gap

Knowing and owning your strengths is the greatest act of self-love you can offer yourself. It lays the foundation for owning and manifesting what you want to achieve. Working with women, I help them explore their personal strengths and how they show up in their successes and struggles. One of the most gratifying parts of what I do is identifying how these strengths lead my clients to the proverbial pot of gold.

What’s your pot of gold? Let me help you explore how to get there.

A big part of the work I do with women is learning how to own their strengths in ways that create greater self-connection and confidence. This opens the door to achieving a future vision that truly reflects her authentic self.

The Wake-Up Call is my two-session pro-bono package to explore how you can connect to strength, create a vision, and take action.

Book your Wake Up Call here!