Imposter syndrome can contribute to procrastination because those who feel like imposters may be afraid of failure or not meeting expectations. This can lead to avoiding tasks or delaying them until the last minute. In turn, this can create a cycle of procrastination, where the longer you delay a task, the more anxious and overwhelmed you may feel, making it even harder to get started. It is a vicious cycle!
Additionally, if you have imposter syndrome, you may struggle with setting goals or making decisions because you doubt your abilities and fear making mistakes. This can lead to indecisiveness and further delay in completing tasks.
Looking at it the other way round, procrastination can contribute to imposter syndrome because it reinforces the belief that you are not capable or competent enough to complete tasks on time. This can add fuel to the self-doubt and lead to a lack of confidence in your abilities.

The first step is to recognise and address both imposter syndrome and procrastination. Do you know where it stems from? It could be learned behaviours from childhood, always wanting to please and feeling like you fell short. Or perhaps it is innate and something you are more prone to than others. Either way, it is a difficult cycle to break and unlearn, and a good starting point is to be able to recognise the trigger points.
I can help with this by listening to your worries, where they stem from and being able to look objectively at what is holding you back. Ultimately, it boils down to an emotion – fear – and being able to start taking risks, learning to be fearless. It won’t happen overnight but by acknowledging you have imposter syndrome, you can begin to take small steps to overcome it.
One approach, and one I encourage, is to practice self-compassion and accepting that making mistakes and experiencing self-doubt are normal parts of the learning process. It can also be helpful to break tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and create a plan to accomplish them. This can help reduce feelings of overwhelm and increase motivation.
I can help with this planning. I can steer you to identifying and overcoming what’s holding you back. We can tap into your resilience and develop coping strategies. No one should expect to be able to power on through all the time. We all need to take breaks but the important thing is to get back on and keep on track. From time to time you may get overwhelmed and lose heart, but by changing a few small habits and being kind to yourself, it is possible to lessen the grip of imposter syndrome.
Contact me to arrange a time to talk. We can start planning how to break the cycle of imposter syndrome and procrastination and develop a more positive and productive mindset. It’s time to be fearless and take back control!