Free ebook: The Secrets to Tackling Imposter Syndrome

adele — Mon, 22 May 2023 09:48:20 +0000

Ever experience that feeling of faking it and wondering when you’re going to get found out, even though objectively you’re achieving well?

Welcome to the Imposter Syndrome Club!

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Research shows around 70% of people experience this at some time. However, unfortunately, that doesn’t stop it impeding your successes or preventing you from reaching your potential in the first place.

Happily, help is at hand! I’ve put together a short ebook that will help you understand what imposter syndrome is, how it can impact you and why it’s a self-perpetuating cycle that needs to be broken.

Inside, you’ll find five practical ways to stop the cognitive distortions and self-limiting beliefs of imposter feelings, and begin a journey of growth, empowerment and confidence. If you consistently use them, I know you’ll see results. Don’t forget to let me know how you get on!

PS If you want more tailored support to ‘Re-Author Your Story’, there are a couple of options detailed at the end of the ebook. Please feel free to reach out to me directly for more info.

The-Secrets-to-Tackling-Imposter-Syndrome Download

Let’s talk about how to be happier!

adele — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 08:30:37 +0000

It’s been my absolute pleasure recently to have spoken to a number of businesses and organisations about how to be happier and why it matters. I love having the chance to share what I’ve learnt in a really practical way, and the feedback I’ve had so far has made me blush!

One of the things that has been noticeable during these talk is how it’s a topic that really connects with people. There seems to be a real appetite for learning how to take care of your psychological wellbeing in order to enjoy life more fully and become braver with the way we move through the world.

Because being happier isn’t just about that wonderful feeling that life is going your way, and you’re functioning optimally as a person. It’s also about feeling like you have the tools at your disposal to deal with whatever is coming your way. It’s about knowing your strengths and how to use them. It’s also about recognising when you’ve pushed yourself to the limit and need time and space to recharge.

In short, it’s incredibly empowering at work and in life.

If you think your company or organisation would benefit from a short interactive talk containing five potentially life-changing tips, please get in contact for more details.

How curious are you about your strengths?

adele — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:43:56 +0000

Using your character strengths as a way to have a ‘life-well-lived’ was a concept that blew me away when I was first introduced to it several years ago. And it remains one of the things that resonates with me most about positive psychology.

It just makes complete sense. Why wouldn’t you use the things you are naturally good at on a day to day basis? And what better way can there be to overcome problems, issues or obstacles than from a position of strength?

Research backs up this logic. According to Martin Seligman, the granddaddy of positive psychology, we can become lastingly happier by using our strengths more often and in different ways. Yet it never ceases to amaze me how few of us really know what our strengths are or how to use them to best advantage.

As I said, not long ago, I was firmly in that camp.

If you are too and want a quick ready-reckoner, you might like to try the Values In Action (VIA) survey. It’s based on 24 positive character traits, drawn up after a review of virtues in major religious and philosophical traditions around the world. All the traits included are considered to be universal, ubiquitous, morally valued and measureable, which makes it an excellent starting point no matter who you are or where you are from.

My own top strength from this survey is curiosity, which came as a bit of a surprise to me. It’s not that I disagreed – far from it. It’s that I’d never considered it an advantageous quality to possess.

This is a point that Erika Anderson makes in her book, ‘Be bad first: Get good at things fast to stay ready for the future’. We often say that curiosity is good (it’s akin to a survival skill in babies and children as they learn about the world), but as adults we’re taught to behave as though it’s not. We learn not to ask too many questions at work, for example, for fear of asking the wrong thing and looking stupid.

I certainly considered my own curiosity in the same negative way – something to be suppressed in case I came across as too intrusive, nosy or eager, rather than something constructive that I could use. But, as Andersen says, it’s not asking questions that is ‘a big problem for us when it comes to learning new things and thriving in this ever-changing world’.

Curious people tend to be good listeners and conversationalists, simply because they are genuinely interested in other people. It’s also a trait associated with intelligence and problem-solving, in part due to the fruitful environment curious people create for themselves by seeking constant input from new people, new things and new ideas. And as creativity is highly correlated with openness to new experiences, it follows that curious people have a propensity towards the creative too.

Andersen also makes the point that really curious people find endless fascination in ‘how things work and what might be possible’ and are therefore willing to do what it takes to find out more, understand, master and become more skilled.

In short, this is a quality that propels us forward and ensures we don’t settle for the status quo.

Suddenly, I saw this trait of mine in a whole new light – it was something of value that I could use to my advantage. Realising this has been a game-changer. For example, I have pretty high levels of motivation when it comes to my work anyway, but on the odd occasion when I’m faced with a project that doesn’t immediately grab me, I’ve found approaching it from a perspective of curiosity – what can I find out about here that I don’t already know? – makes getting started a whole lot easier. I don’t mind telling you that I’m all for taking the path of least resistance when it comes to achieving the things we want, which is why I always take a strengths-based approach with my coaching clients.

Our character strengths tend to be pretty stable over time, but they can change following particular situations and we can also develop and hone them. (There are also risks in under and over-using them, but that’s a topic for another day.) If you’d like to use the strength of curiosity more intentionally and enjoy some of its many benefits, here are some simple ideas to get you started:

· Look around the room you are in right now. What can you notice that you would usually overlook?

· Spend the first 10 minutes after you arrive in work reading about something new in an area that interests you, and then share what you’ve learnt with a colleague

· See how many different routes you can take to and from work, or anywhere else you regularly go

· Read a book or watch a film that you wouldn’t usually gravitate towards

· Take someone at work you find inspirational out for a coffee, and ask them all the questions you want (obviously, check it’s ok with them first!)

· Next time you are working on a project or doing an activity that you don’t much like, try to find three novel things about it and pay attention to them

· Encourage curiosity in your team, company or even family, by simply reminding people that there is no such thing as a silly question

positivepsychology – Adele Hawkes

Free ebook: The Secrets to Tackling Imposter Syndrome

Let’s talk about how to be happier!

How curious are you about your strengths?