Hi there,

Happy Monday!

Here is your weekly dose of The Monday 3: a quote, an insight and an action I’m taking.

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A quote I’m pondering

It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.

Adlai E. Stevenson

An insight from conversation

Imposter syndrome – that sense of feeling fraudulent, inadequate or not yet good enough to be doing this (whatever “this” is) – appears extremely common.

For me it’s a life long story. I always felt I was the last to be selected in any water polo team I ever made. And it still shows up as I step on stage for a speaking gig, kick off with a new client or hit send on this email. In fact the more I care, the more likely it is to show up.

Who am I to be teaching this? Will they get value? Will they be interested?

In many ways it has been the energy that has driven me, at times obsessively, to practice, to do more reps, to seek advice, coaching, feedback, anything to help me improve.

In that respect The Imposter can be a gift.

If I can learn to recognise it when it shows up and harness its energy, then I can see it as the “price of entry” to be in a game I care deeply about.

An action I’m taking

Labelling our experience of imposter syndrome (or other forms of discomfort) can be helpful in learning to work with it. For me it’s a whole body feeling of energy flowing through me head to toe. My body temperature rises along with my heart rate. I’ve named it Mara in the past after a demon in a Buddhist story. But I’ve recently decided it’s a part of who I am and along with me for the ride forever as far as I can tell. So I’ve renamed it Toby.

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Is there one of these that really stood out for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts or suggestions whether that’s a favourite quote or something else.

I hope you have a great week ahead.

With love,

Toby

Performance Coach, Speaker and Author

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