Overcome Imposter Syndrome With Uniqueness

The other day on my run a Bob Dylan song came on, followed by ones from Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks.  During the Stevie song I thought how all three of them – Dylan, Petty, and Nicks, would have never stood a chance on American Idol.  Dylan and Petty would have been laughed off, and Nicks wouldn’t have made it far.

Yet between the three of them they’ve sold 235 million records, and their material still out-streams and out sells most of the modern crap of today.  And if you hear a song from one of those artists there’s no mistake who your listening to, even if you’ve never heard the song before.  Why?

Because they’re unique. 

Generic

Back when I had cable TV, I tried watching American Idol a few times.  I love music, so why not try.  I gave up on the show soon after because all of the finalists sounded too similar.  Sure, they we’re talented folks and could sing – really well.  But the show seemed to favor generic voices, voices that had no uniqueness. 

Don’t get me wrong, I could only dream to be able to sing like any of the finalists in the year I watched the show.  But there is such a thing as having lots of talent yet no uniqueness.  In so many facets of life it takes more than talent to stand out. 

You have to separate yourself.

Poser

I see a lot of online content creators and writers profess that they have imposter syndrome.  It’s especially prevalent in the financial independence blogging space, where many creators are striving to escape their career.  So they try their hand at writing about personal finance. 

They weren’t trained in personal finance, nor are they financial advisors.  But here they are, giving advice on how to reach financial independence.  You happen to be reading a blog exactly like that at this very moment. 

The best ones to me are the ones that have uniqueness.  If you want just the facts about how to do a backdoor Roth contribution there are probably hundreds of sites and blog posts that will give you that.  Hint – if you’re a new personal finance blogger and you want to do that post, good luck.  You better make it unique, because if you simply do a replay of what’s already out there your chances of getting any traction are really slim.

In the personal finance space – or any creative endeavor for that matter – the creators that rise to the top for me are the ones who weave in a personal story or a unique style into their work. 

Everyone can be unique because everyone is unique.  You have the one thing no one can take from you or claim as theirs, which is your story and your experiences.  Use them, flaunt your uniqueness.  

I’m An Imposter, But A Unique One

Every time I publish a blog post an email gets sent to hundreds of people on my mailing list.  And almost every single time I get a few unsubscribe notices.  Those are likely people who read a post of mine that they liked or connected with and subscribed to my list, only to change their mind later. 

Maybe they feel they got duped and that my blog isn’t really about what they thought it was.  Perhaps they got sick of my ranting about cycling and climbing and how those things connect to personal finance. 

Hey, I’m just doing me.  I claim to be nothing more than uniquely me.  If someone unsubscribes because I’m not their cup of tea, then great.  I hope they find that cup.  I want subscribers who connect with me and my uniqueness. 

I’ve had imposter syndrome in the past, and still get tinges of it here an there.  I have a successful graphic design business, yet I never had any formal training in it.  I write a blog about financial independence with a special focus on the psychology and mindset behind our money decisions, yet I was never trained as a financial advisor or a psychologist. 

By all accounts I’m an imposter.  But I’ve gained traction by being me.  I make designs with a style and ethos that’s all mine.  And I strive to make my blog posts about stories and unique experiences in my life.  My blog is not ginormous and likely will never be.  That’s okay, I’d rather be me and be unique than be generic and focused on keywords and listicles.

Take it or leave it, subscribe or unsubscribe, either way I’m good.

Find Your Sound

So that brings me back to music.  No one else sounds like Michael Stipe, or Willie Nelson, or Patty Smith.  How about Tom Waits, or Nick Cave? (shout out to Freddy and Fates!).  Those singers would all have all been laughed off American Idol. 

But they’re all massively successful and popular because of their uniqueness. 

So if you’re fighting imposter syndrome in your side hustle or any creative endeavor, pull out a mirror and have a peek.  That person has a uniqueness like no other, be that person.