When 'Imposter syndrome' means you're becoming who you imagined...
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard women say, “I feel like a fraud,” or “Who am I to be doing this?”—and if I’m honest, I’ve said it to myself too.
When I first began my training as a Master Holistic Health Coach and Mental Health Coach, I often felt like I was on shaky ground. I was a mum navigating two little boys, still walking my own journey, and yet here I was, stepping into a profession where I’d be guiding others through their health, stress, and mindset challenges. It felt bold. It also felt scary.
But over time, I’ve realised something powerful about imposter syndrome. Often, that “I don’t belong” feeling is not a sign you’re unqualified. It’s a sign you’re finally living a version of yourself you once only imagined.
For years, I journaled about a future where I would help women heal from stress, nourish their bodies, and feel at home in themselves. I envisioned a practice where I could combine mental health coaching, metabolic nutrition, and lifestyle medicine to offer a holistic whole person approach to health and wellbeing. And now, when I’m asked to speak to a group of women, coaching clients through panic attacks, or supporting a woman through the overwhelm of fertility treatments, there are moments I still feel that old “who am I?” whisper.
But I’ve learned to recognise it for what it is: a lag between who I used to believe I was and who I’ve actually become. My internal story hasn’t always caught up with my external reality. And that tension isn’t failure—it’s growth.
If you’re feeling like an imposter, ask yourself: – Could this be the moment where your past self’s dream and your present self’s reality have finally intersected? – Could this discomfort simply mean you’re stretching into a bigger identity than the one you’ve outgrown?
Imposter syndrome can be a powerful indicator that you’re in the right place, not the wrong one. It’s the friction of growth, not the evidence of fraud.
For me, the antidote has been to pause, acknowledge the growth, and allow my identity to expand. I’m not “faking” it. I’m embodying it. And so are you.
💙 If you’re on your own hill-climb—whether in your health, career, or personal growth—know that feeling wobbly doesn’t mean you’re not worthy. It may mean you’re finally stepping into the life you once dreamed of. Keep going. One step at a time.
— Jess Doyle – Master Holistic Health Coach & Mental Health Coach, helping women reclaim calm, confidence & optimal wellbeing. Heal through your journey from surviving to truly thriving.
Journal Prompts
1. Where did I first learn that I had to prove myself to belong, succeed, or be taken seriously?
Go back to memories — school, family, work, social spaces.
There’s often a moment where self-doubt began.
2. What am I afraid will happen if people see the “real me” beneath my achievements?
Imposter syndrome usually protects something — a fear of judgment, failure, rejection, or visibility. Name it.
3. What evidence exists that I am capable, prepared, and qualified — even when my mind says otherwise?
List real facts. Break the illusion.
Your inner critic trades in emotion, not truth.
4. Whose voice do I hear when I doubt myself — and does that voice belong to who I am today?
Often it’s not your voice. It might be a parent, teacher, past boss, or old standard you no longer need to live by.
5. If I trusted my competence fully, how would I show up differently? What would I say, share, or attempt?
Visualise a version of you who isn’t performing — just living, leading, creating.
Imposter syndrome is the voice that whispers you don’t belong in the very rooms you once prayed to enter — but belonging doesn’t require proof, only acceptance. You are living what you once dreamt of, not by accident, but because you grew into it. Own it.
