3 simple words to counteract Imposter Syndrome

I recently saw a YouTube video featuring entrepreneur, Caleb Maddix, who explained why you should never hold yourself back from taking action.

He started with a well-known quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”, backing it up with this analogy: You have a better chance of sinking a basketball than Michael Jordan if Michael Jordan simply stands there, holding the ball, and not taking the shot. Michael Jordan is still the greatest basketballer player in the world, but he didn’t take the shot. You did.

This leads us to three simple words that can squash Imposter Syndrome in its tracks:

Take the shot.

Caleb knows a thing or two about taking the shot. He’s made millions as an entrepreneur, social media influencer, and mentor for kids. He’s also the author of six books.

Oh, and he’s 15 year old.

He never let age or lack of experience stop him from sharing his wisdom and information. In other words, he probably never suffered from Imposter Syndrome. But even if he did, like so many others, he simply pushed through it. He could have said, “I’m too young to be an entrepreneur and speaker. What do I know? Who will listen? Who will care?”

Instead, he believed in himself and decided to take the shot. 

Take the shot

The words ‘Take the shot’ should be in every microbusiness owner’s motivational toolkit, because many of us suffer from Imposter Syndrome.

Caleb has some advice for people like us: “You might wonder, ‘Why’s this person have a great business?’ The reason why is because they started one. They actually did it. How did that person write a book? Because they actually wrote it. They took that shot. Some people think, ‘What if I start a business and I fail?’ Well, if you don’t start the business, you’re guaranteed to fail.  It’s that simple. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

You’re not a fraud

In the process of taking the shot, you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not, because that would make you feel like a fraud. Rather, focus on your personal experiences – what you’ve done and what you’ve learnt because that’s real and can’t be disagreed with. Caleb never pretends to be the world’s biggest expert on anything. In a Forbes interview, he said, “I never feel like I know more than [adults]. I’ll talk about what I’ve done, but they’re adults, they have experiences, they have kids, I’ve never been there.”

Go for it!

Remember, if you’re holding yourself back due to fear of being an imposter, remind yourself to: Take the shot, give it a shot, and while you’re at it, shoot for the stars.

What are your thoughts on taking the shot?