Do you ever feel like you're an imposter?

You feel like an imposter when you're able to act confident on the outside but you don't really feel confident on the inside.

One of the hidden causes of The Imposter Syndrome is trying too hard. You really want to appear a certain way so you over-do it. This ends up not backfiring and instead of building authentic confidence you actually become less confident.

Instead, work to build up your true self confidence so the outer matches the inner. Here are 9 tips to help you. 9 Steps to Stellar Self-Confidence:

1. Expect the best. Remember that what you expect is what you get. If you create a sense of optimism and positive expectation, you're more likely to have a successful outcome. 2. Do something challenging every day. When you do something that's outside of your comfort zone you can't fail. Either you do great and feel more confident or it doesn't work and you're proud of yourself from trying and learn from the mistakes. 3. Keep track your successes. We naturally pay more attention to what we didn't do than what we did do. You think about all the things you didn't cross off your to-do list. Instead focus on what you did accomplish and watch your confidence sky-rocket. 4. Give compliments. When you acknowledge others you'll find that you feel good, they want to help you, and they compliment you. All these things boost confidence. 5. Challenge assumptions and request feedback. We're our own worst enemies and often assume the worst. Instead get objective feedback about your performance. 6. Tackle confidence-reducing thoughts. When a thought that saps your confidence pops into your mind, question it by asking yourself, "What is the evidence that it's true?" 7. Remember your past achievements. Next time you face a challenging situation, recall a time you've successfully navigated a similarly challenging situation. 8. Act slightly more confident than you feel. This one's tricky because if you do it too much, it reinforces the Imposter Syndrome. But if you act just a bit more confident, you'll get better results which helps you to feel more confident. 9. Develop skills and expertise. The best way to build authentic confidence is to know that you know what you're doing and be aware of the value you provide.

When you regularly practice these 9 steps (or your favorites of them), you'll see that you no longer feel that you're putting on an act. You don't have to because you really feel confident. You'll feel clear about the value that you provide and ready to tackle new challenges.

About the Author

Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA is a business psychologist and author of Anxious 9 to 5 who is regularly quoted in media such as The New York Times and Inc. Get the e-course 7 Steps to Career Success as a thank you for visiting http://www.anxious9to5.com