Ready to overcome imposter syndrome?
I help introverts go from feeling inadequate and insecure in the workplace to being confident professionals in 10 weeks with my Positive Professional Programs.
Would you also like results like these?
“I hardly suffer from negative thoughts anymore”
“Maya helped me to realize my strong sides and qualities”
“I dare to act better,
and making mistakes is okay”
I help people like you get results like this.
And I would LOVE to work with you next!
The pressure to perform at work can be overwhelming, I know...
You’re scared to fail, or that you’re ‘not good enough’. Perhaps this holds you back from acting at work, as you’ve become overwhelmed by fears and insecurities. Which ultimately determine for you what you do or don’t do.
This makes it tempting to stay in the background. Don’t let yourself be heard. Not let yourself be seen. Letting others take credit for your work. And you don’t stand up for yourself.
You end up in a vicious circle of insecurity and ineffectiveness.
Does that sound familiar?
'The solution must be to become better, right?'
A lot of us, people who struggle with imposter syndrome, turn to education with hope it will improve the situation. By improving our skills and knowledge, with the hope that our perfectionism will be satisfied.
But the cold, hard truth is…
You will never feel truly satisfied as long as you are aiming for perfection. Perfection does not exist.
And you can’t let your fears and insecurities make your decisions for you, as you ultimately won’t make decisions that serve you.
I'll let you in on a little secret
If you want to get rid of your insecurities and fears surrounding the topic of work, the trick isn’t to evolve your skills, learn more, or just wait and hope for things to become better eventually.
Though courses, masterclasses, books, webinars, workshops, ect. might increase your know-how, it won’t necessarily make you feel more confident, comfortable or effective in your job. ‘Learning’ won’t make it easier for you to stand your ground, make decisions, show up, or even make you feel less stressed.
The real trick is…
To work on your mindset. From time to time, we are all plagued by limiting beliefs and negative thoughts about ourselves. These are negative statements you make about yourself and accept as if they were facts. Examples of limiting beliefs are:
- I’m not good enough
- Making mistakes means I’m a failure
- Everybody else is smarter than I
- I don’t belong at this level
- They’ll find out I can’t actually do this
Does that sound familiar? Thoughts like these play a way bigger role in your insecurities than your actual skill level or expertise. They chip away at your self-esteem, causing hesitation, indecision, stress, and anxiety, and potentially clouds your judgment and dampens your productivity.
When you believe you’re not good enough, you’ll hold back from embracing opportunities. By avoiding opportunities to prove yourself, you make your fears and insecurities a reality;
- You think you can never learn to program, so you never learn to program.
- You think you can never design something that beautiful, so you never do.
- You’re afraid get a better job, so you don’t.
As long as you hold on to your limiting beliefs, you won’t make the decisions you need to make to find out what your true potential is.
However, by challenging and reframing these beliefs, you can (re)claim your confidence, alleviate stress, and unlock your full potential in the workplace.
Wondering how I can be so sure of this?
Because I too was once convinced I wasn’t good enough.
I let my fears and insecurities hold me back.
I let others walk all over me.
And I never said anything because I felt I had nothing to add.
And now?
My name is Maya, and this is my story
My self-esteem was always a very fragile thing. Small setbacks could bother me for weeks, months or even years.
I studied communications and, for a long time, felt like that was the worst idea I ever had as a person with dyslexia. Though I’ve always liked the creative aspect of writing, I knew that I would never be able to write as flawlessly or as fast as my peers.
I felt like I could not keep up. Nothing I did was ever good enough. And sooner or later, my bosses would figure out I wasn’t meant to be there.
After trying out various jobs within comms, improving my grammar as much as I could, and doing several additional comms & marketing courses, the one thing that truly helped me get rid of my fear of failure, anxiety and stress surrounding work, was rewiring my brain to believe:
- I am good enough;
- I am allowed to make mistakes;
- And I deserve just as much as everybody else.
Now I run my own business, managing ALL of my own marketing & comms work, with enjoyment and confidence. Is it perfect? No, but I know I don’t have to be. And – most importantly – I help other introverted professionals to realize their self-worth and feel fulfilled in their jobs.
This is what will happen when you start challenging your limiting beliefs
- You REALLY start to believe that making mistakes is okay
- You won’t be as scared to act anymore
- You’ll know that failure isn’t the end of the world
- It will become easier to make decisions
- You’ll be better able to stand up for yourself
- You won’t shy away from great opportunities
- You’ll develop self-esteem AND self-compassion
But there is more...
- You will find pride in your accomplishments, even if they’re not ‘perfect’
- You’ll develop more resilience to overcome setbacks, so they won’t affect you as much
- You will be able to accept the positive feedback you get from others and won’t be suspicious about it
- You’ll finally truly understand you can’t compare yourself to others, and you will be less inclined to do so
- The barrier to trying new things decreases, making it easier to do the things you’ve always wanted to do
- You will be able to let go of your perfectionism, making you more time-efficient, flexible and productive
- The way you think about yourself will be with compassion and kindness instead of judgement and punishment, making you feel more at ease and relaxed
The proces of increasing self-esteem
This is what you can expect when we start working together
During a free and non-binding introduction call, we’ll discuss what you exactly would like to accomplish while working with me. If you want to proceed & I believe that what I offer meets your needs, we can get started!
Note: Your well-being is a top priority to me. If I feel that my program or guidance is not suitable for you, I will let you know. This may be because I feel that you could be better helped by a psychologist, or because I don’t think you have imposter syndrome or limiting beliefs. For reasons like this, I might decline to work with you.
The method I use to build self-esteem, combat limiting beliefs and thereby help you overcome imposter syndrome, is based on Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and consists of four steps:
- Recognition. We start by discovering which type of situations negatively affect your self-image.
- Awareness. What exactly are the negative thought and beliefs you have about yourself? What does your self-talk sound like?
- Challenging. We continue by measuring how relevant and true the beliefs you have about yourself are.
- Transforming. We take your limiting belief and turn it into a new way of thinking that is both realistic and positive, to create a healthier mindset.
Repetition is very important in changing our mindset. For that reason, we do not go through these steps just once, but we will do this several times throughout the program. Keep reading for more information about the steps! 👇
Identify the trigger: What sets off your negative thoughts?
In this first step, we will search for the specific situations and events that evoke negative feelings surrounding your work. So, what causes you stress? Or what makes you feel like an imposter? For example, some people get triggered by:
- Negative feedback
- The absence of positive feedback
- Getting an assignment
- Talking to peers about work
- Getting up in the morning
By recognizing what sets off your feelings of anxiety, fear, or unworthiness, you gain insight into what negatively affects your self-image – the first step towards sustainable change in your mindset!
Examine your thought patterns - Become aware of your inner dialogue
Without knowing exactly what your limiting beliefs are, you cannot change your mindset. In those triggering situations, what are the exact thoughts and beliefs you have about yourself? What do you hear yourself saying?
These kinds of negative statements are your limiting beliefs, causing you to feel insecure, inadequate, and maybe even worthless. These are some limiting beliefs of people with imposter syndrome:
- I’m not good enough
- Sooner or later, I’ll be exposed for being a fraud
- I’m not as talented/skilled as others
- I have to be perfect
- If I make a mistake, I’ll lose my job
Make sure to not copy these, though! Everybody has their own inner demons and personal limiting beliefs. My program will not work unless you use your personal, limiting beliefs.
Reality check: Don’t believe everything you think
Now it’s time to question the validity of your negative beliefs. How realistic are the standards you set for yourself? Is what you want actually achievable? And do you think others REALLY judge you that harshly?
Many negative thoughts about ourselves are filled with misconceptions, lies, and exaggerations, and they lack nuance. So in this step, we’ll gather proof of why your limiting belief is or is not valid (I’m betting it’s not).
By practicing and repeating this step regularly, you train your brain to think critically about the way you talk to yourself. And you’ll notice fast enough that this will become an automatic practice that you’ll do as soon as limiting beliefs enter your brain.
The secret to sustainable change in your self-image
In the final step, you take your limiting belief and transform it into a new belief with more focus on what’s realistic. You’ll learn how to verbalize a new, positive, and – most of all – realistic belief based on all the evidence you’ve gathered in step 3.
This creates a healthier and more confident thought pattern, enabling you to find more peace, let go of your perfectionism, and accept yourself the way you are.
I know right now this might sound forced, and you may be inclined to think you simply won’t believe this new, positive belief you’ve created. BUT because you have thoroughly examined all the reasons why your original belief was or wasn’t true, you will find truth in this new statement.
Ready to leave your imposter syndrome behind?
Let's work together! I'll help you (re)discover your self-worth, confidence and amazing qualities.
Quick Confidence Check-up
One coaching call (90 minutes) in which we discuss a specific (work-related) situation that affects your self-esteem. Optional: A recording of the coaching call
Positive Professional Program
Free and non-binding introduction call 5 coaching calls (90 minutes each) Optional: Bi-weekly reminders and check-ins per email or WhatsApp Optional: Recording of the coaching calls 10% off on additional single sessions if needed
PREMIUM
Positive Professional Program
Free and non-binding introduction call 7 coaching calls (90 minutes each Soul Searching Guidebook with 5 exercises to (re)discover yourself Optional: Weekly reminders and check-ins per email or WhatsApp Optional: A recording of the coaching call 20% off on additional single sessions if needed
Not what you had in mind?
Please contact me 📧
We can create a tailor-made package together!
All there's left for you to do now, is choosing
❌ You can continue to doubt yourself and let fear take control over your life and how you do your job.
✅ OR you can teach yourself a healthy and productive mindset that will enable you to live up to your true potential.
❌ You can continue to carry your insecurity with you wherever you go, no matter how much you learn or how many times you start over…
✅ OR you can learn to accept yourself as you are and develop the courage and strength to show the outside world what you have in store.
The choice is yours. Where you’ll be in 6 months from now, will be a result of what you choose to do now. So tell me, how do you want to live your life?
Questions? I got answers!
I like the Chinese proverb: ‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now’.
Sometimes we keep putting things off because it never seems to be the “perfect time.” Chances are, the perfect moment will never come. So you might as well start now 🙂
We first schedule a free, no-obligation introductory call. If we both feel good about it, I’ll send you a coaching contract, which will include your specific goals, and will make sure we both adhere to our agreement.
After that, we’ll get started right away. I’ll provide you with exercises, questions and possibly practical assignments that you’ll mostly do in between our meetings, so we can discuss them during the sessions. For the success of my program, it is essential to also work on building your self-esteem outside our meetings and to stay consistent.
At the beginning, middle and end of the program I’ll ask you to complete an evaluation to monitor your progress and how satisfied you are with the program and my support.
Each call lasts 60 – 90 minutes, depending on how much time we need. I always schedule the meetings for 90 minutes, as it is my experience we need that time 🙂 The free and non-binding introduction takes 30 minutes.
I recommend scheduling a meeting every 2 weeks. This generally will give you enough time to fulfil the assignments. If it doesn’t, of course we can come to a different agreement.
During the sessions, we agree on what each of us will prepare for the next one. For you, this will include a reflection on the session we just had, as well as assignments and possibly practical exercises as part of the program. Those will be tailored to your specific goal and situation.
Can’t finish the assignments before our next call? Don’t worry! Let me know as soon as possible (max. 48 hours in advance), and we can arrange something else.
Our calls will take place via a video calling tool. I’ll send you an invite well ahead.
I absolutely think you can! And if you know what you’re doing and are disciplined enough to do so, you have my full support! There are plenty of books, blogs, videos, ect. that can help you to overcome your imposter syndrome. But in my experience it helps enormously:
- To have someone that helps you to keep working on it and be consistent.
- To have someone who asks you the questions you can’t come up with yourself.
- To use a program that has shown its effectiveness before. It may take some time to find the right method and exercises, let alone how to make them work for YOU. And that’s something I can help you with. I have the proper coaching materials, expertise and experience so you don’t have to completely re-invent the wheel.
In general, a psychologist focuses more on severe psychological problems and traumas from the past, while a coach focuses more on personal development, the here and now and the future.
For example, as long as you do not suffer from severe psychological problems, and your low self-esteem isn’t the result of complicated, unresolved traumas, you can contact a coach to work on your self-image and imposter syndrome.
During our introduction call, I will ask you questions to determine whether my program and service fit your needs. If I think a psychologist is better suited to help you, I will tell you.
That’s absolutely possible! But in order to determine whether I can actually help you with your problem, I do ask you to roughly explain in advance what you want to talk about. If it is not within my expertise, or if I think I’m not the right coach for you, I will be honest about that. I want you to be helped well, even if it’s not coming from me 🙂
Yes, that’s possible! After our introduction, if we have decided to work together, I will ask you whether you would like to receive the investment in 1 or 3 invoices.
Precisely for that reason, I am giving you the option to pay in installments.
Do you have more doubts? Please send me a message.
Have I not answered your question, or would you like more information?
Please let me know!
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