Black Belt on Imposter Syndrome
Dealing w/Those Intrusive Thoughts
People will often think that the more experienced you are in the art, or any given discipline for that matter, the less you deal with the imposter syndrome. The reality is often quite different.
As a Black belt, I’m still dealing with it whenever I start to push towards something unfamiliar and new. I’m 43, 44 next month, I don’t have a big name, or high level competition pedigree, and I’ve only been a Black Belt for three years.
The negative thoughts are definitely there.
The more I have genuine conversations with other Black Belts and instructors in this community, the more I’ve grown to understand that the majority of us are dealing with aspects of imposter syndrome in one way or the other.
When I started doing the workshops at Five Peaks Jiu-Jitsu, I was extremely nervous. Not just pregame jitters, but it was a very similar feeling to what I would get just before competing, or when I taught my first class alone.
I was worried about being liked, would the students take to my teaching style, or would they show at all.
Something things that have helped me..
Do It Anyway - I’ve been on a few podcasts and before doing them, I was worried no one would want to listen, that I would flub my words, or that I would sound weird. I did it anyway and loved it. Now, I want to do more.
Prepare - I’ve been teaching for over a decade, but whenever a higher level Black Belt joins the class I tend to get a bit nervous. I have to remind myself, “I know my shit, I prepared.. time to own it.”
Go For No - When I worked retail, they had a saying, go for no. The idea being that you upsell the customer. When I recently approached my second gym about hosting me, I decided that I would go for no. If they said no to me, my life wasn’t going to change, it just meant that I would have to find another gym that would have me. Again, not the end of the world.
What I Take In - What we take in is incredibly important. I make an effort to follow and watch videos on mindset and motivation. I want content that feeds the mindset that I need and want in order to get to my goals. I’ll often save the positives posts on IG in the event that I need to re-watch.
I don’t think that I ever want to completely get over my imposter syndrome, what I want is to manage it. I want just enough to keep my ego in check, without hampering me from my progress.
For those of you who are dealing with it, I would love to know how you manage.
DFM Coaching is dedicated to helping you overcome mental hurdles and achieve your full potential in BJJ. Whether through in-person instruction, seminars, private lessons, remote coaching, or video analysis, I provide personalized support tailored to your needs. Keep pushing forward, and let’s grow together!
Love it. Imposter syndrome keeps me humble. Keeps me motivating to continue to earn where I am in any domain and improve. I’d be more concerned about those who don’t have any than those who do!
Brilliant