This week, Seth Godin posted: “Are you an imposter? The thing is, when we do big work, we all are. And we can choose to leave it behind.” He linked to this blog post where he states that we are all imposters!
I love Seth Godin: his work, his thought process and his outside the box thinking.
When I read his statement that we’re all imposters as we start something new, it gave me a completely different perspective on imposter syndrome. I realized that if I don’t feel like an imposter, I’m not playing big enough. I’m playing small. And people who play small don’t make the impact they’re called to make.
When you step into your Masterpiece Work, you must transform your game. You set higher goals because you know first that you’re capable of it (somehow) and second that the work demands it.
You may not know today how you’re going to get there, but you know that you will find a way. That’s why we don’t stop with the steps of Reflecting and Rediscovery on the Masterpiece Work Success Map. They’re important first steps, but they’re the beginning of the journey.
The journey also includes Reframe, where you decide where you need to focus for the biggest impact and then Recalibrate, aligning your life with the new vision and understanding of your potential impact.
How can you play big enough as you Reframe and Recalibrate?
- Connect to people who think bigger – Look for organizations where you can serve. Find a non-profit where you can contribute your skills. Connect and collaborate with others to do good in the world while moving past imposter syndrome. You can make friends and connections at the same time.
- Put yourself out there – I’ve learned that I need to connect to people who think bigger in order to think bigger myself. Those I surround myself with have a definite impact on my ability to step into my Masterpiece Work. Find mentors and peers who think bigger. Be a mentor to someone who wants to uplevel their life.
- Invest in yourself – Invest in honing your skills and upleveling your thinking. Each of us has areas where we excel. Sharpen and deepen your knowledge and skills in these areas. Getting even better at them provides an even sharper focus and more opportunities for impact.
In the introduction of Brene Brown’s latest book, Dare to Lead, she shares that work in this book is based on research that they took into companies and non-profits and honed based on the response to actual experiences. If Brene Brown and the leaders of multi-national organizations need to keep learning and growing, it seems we do, too.
The world needs your Masterpiece Work. What do you need to do to move past the fear and into the life-giving opportunity of your Masterpiece Work?
©Rhonda Peterson 2019, All Rights Reserved
