Feeling like a fraud? Have hope!

It took me almost four years before I started taking myself seriously in my business. It's not that I wasn't determined. I was, and I still am.

A bud doesn't say, "I'm not a real flower" - it blooms

But for years, there was a little gremlin inside of my head that made me feel like a complete and utter fraud.

"You don't have a clue what you're doing!" It taunted me.

One of the things that got me through such doubts was chanting, "I can figure it out as I go. That's ok."

So, that's what I did. Day by day, I built my business. I tried new things and learned from my experiences. I secured one gig at a time and paid myself monthly. I dreamt of what was possible then tweaked what I did at any given time to bring me closer to my vision.

In those first four years, I kept saying, "I'm connecting with my entrepreneurial spirit!" In some ways, it took the pressure off of me. In other ways, it took my power away by perpetuating the fear I was a fraud.

Then, one day, the words "I'm an entrepreneur!" came pouring out of my mouth unprovoked. And I felt this tingly sensation ripple through me.

"I'm really doing it!" I thought excitedly to myself.

In that moment, I stopped connecting with my entrepreneurial spirit and started being an entrepreneur. The only thing that changed was my belief in myself.

Elanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

The best way to stop feeling like a fraud is by doing the thing you think you cannot do. There's no thinking your way out of imposter syndrome. As Yoda said, "Do or do not. There is no try."

Regardless of whether I called myself an entrepreneur, I was doing the work those first four years. It was the evidence of my efforts that allowed me to claim this new identity.

So if you're feeling like a fraud, have hope. Do the work. And with time, you won't feel like the imposter you fear you are today!