Imposter Syndrome: Your Own Worst Enemy
We all have times that we feel out of place. Inadequate. In over our heads. Often that feeling is fleeting, but other times, it persists.
Sometimes we feel as though we aren’t truly capable of the things we do everyday, that really we are faking our way through life, an imposter pretending to be who we outwardly show ourselves to be.
Imposter syndrome can be boiled down to a lack of confidence, and 90% of us out there likely do lack confidence in ourselves. Whether that be on the job, on the course, in our relationships, or elsewhere.
I’ll be the first to admit. I am plagued by imposter syndrome. Especially on the golf course.
Playing with new people, especially good players, is an immense struggle for me. I find myself comparing my game to theirs, my shots to theirs, and often come out feeling insecure about how good I actually consider myself to be.
Golf is a fickle game, and one that is 75% played between the ears. When imposter syndrome creeps in, that’s the beginning of the end.
We’ve all had days where we go and play and it’s all smiles, not caring too much about the score, having fun with our friends. Oftentimes those are the times that we play our best. Figures.
Other times, we get insecure, doubtful of our games, and guess what? Those aren’t normally our best scores.
This post isn’t intended to provide a magic silver bullet to solving imposter syndrome. Instead, it’s a simple decree that it happens to all of us.
All I can I say is that when you show up to a golf course, you’re not competing for a Green Jacket, a Claret Jug, or any other professional prize. I bet you are there to have fun. I bet you took 4 – 6 hours away from home, work, or other responsibilities in order to enjoy yourself. In all reality, our scores are similar to “Who’s Line is it Anyways” points. They are made up and don’t matter.
Imposter syndrome is the voice in our heads telling us we’re not good enough. Being good doesn’t lead to more enjoyment, so who cares?
Two Off the First 