Should You Fake It Till You Make It?
Hello All,
I’m generally not a huge fan of aphorisms (happy wife, happy life is one that irrationally annoys me). Recently, however, a colleague advised me to “fake it until I make it” in response to my own doubts about a situation and it resonated with me.
When you embark on a new venture, you usually have a goal and an idea of how you will achieve it, but are often afflicted with doubt and uncertainty as you navigate your way through the process. Many of us feel the weight of “imposter syndrome” where , despite being accomplished, experienced and competent, you still doubt your abilities and perhaps whether you deserve success. While this has become a popular buzz phrase in recent years, it captures something that is quite pervasive.
Faking it until you make it simply means that by adopting a positive mindset you can actually start to believe that you have these qualities and are worthy of your achievements. Of course, it also means pretending to be something that you’re not, which is at odds with all the advice that tells us to be true to ourselves.
So when is it ok to “fake it” ? The answer, in my opinion, is when you lack confidence in certain situations or when you are you trying to put forth a better version of yourself. Instead of feeling beleaguered, it can be very helpful to visualize how you would you like to come across in the situation eg. confident, knowledgeable, experienced (all of which is true but there is that inner sabotaging voice that wants you to think that you are not) and “act” as if you are that person.
Another situation where faking it is useful is in the face of setbacks. And whereas there are times where it is useful to express the anger or sadness that you might be feeling, often it is better to be stoic and put on a calm front. This can take tremendous strength, but if you are able to do it, you might actually feel better rather than feeling regret for an unwarranted or excessive response.
It is not usually ok to fake it (i.e. outright lie) about competencies that you might have or make promises that you can’t keep as this is counterproductive and usually just results in a loss of trust and can damage relationships.
So, while this isn’t necessary life advice for all situations (there are other certainly times when unfettered honesty can be deeply beneficial), there are situations when it can be useful to act a part over time as this can allow you to get to the point where you actually believe it to be true.
There are a number of subsidies, loans, programs, resources, and mentorships that are available to Canadian businesses, three of which are reviewed in my post. A comprehensive list of these programs can also be found at this link from the government of Canada
