How do you fake it until you make it?
How can I be more confident?
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “fake it til you make it” at one point or another in your life.
Essentially, it’s an old adage about how to achieve success in the workplace by pretending like you know what you are doing.
Your outlook, attitude, body language, and tone are all key aspects of being able to “fake” your expertise.
Physiologically speaking, the more you portray yourself to others as competent, confident, and calm, the more your brain and body will believe that you are too. It serves to not just convince others of your competence, but yourself as well!
In one of my favorite movies, “Catch Me If You Can,” Leonardo DiCaprio portrays the real-life story of Frank Abagnale. As a teenager, Abagnale pretended to be an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer. He learned how to print his own copies of payroll checks and deposited them at banks around the United States. When he began at Pan American Airways as a pilot, he forged his employee ID.
So what can we learn from Frank Abagnale? Should you forge documents or outright lie to get ahead in your job? Absolutely not…that’s most definitely fraud! We can learn from Abagnale’s aura of confidence and self-assurance. If you “act as if” the employee you want to be, you will ultimately become that person.
Here’s exactly how you can actually fake it until you make it in your life. So you can achieve your dreams and goals in life!
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5 Ways to Fake It Til You Make It
Here are my top suggestions for how to fake it until you make it, and be more confident than you are now.
Let’s get started with your confidence.
#1. Confidence is Key
If you feel confident, you are confident.
One way to feel good and self-assured is to dress for the job you want. I had a little trick that I used when I first encountered an extremely challenging kindergarten class.
I had a gift from a student from the previous year: an apple pin with my name on it, with the words #1 teacher. For whatever reason, just having this little good luck charm made me feel infinitely better and boosted my confidence!
You can achieve the same feeling from putting forth a little extra effort into your appearance for the day.
Build up your confidence, by dressing confidently every day!
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Be Confident by Knowing Your Strengths
Another way to build your confidence is to identify your strengths and use them to your advantage.
In order to feel like you are going to succeed, you have to know how you are valuable and what you bring to the table.
My boyfriend is a very quick learner and fantastic at talking to people. He knows it and he shows it (seriously oozes confidence). Three years ago, he started working at an outpatient medical facility as a medical assistant. He very rapidly was given more responsibilities and eventually a promotion to another position as a physician liaison.
His position now basically requires him to talk for a living to other doctors, building strong relationships with them, convincing them to refer their patients to his facility, and explain how they do their procedures.
The higher-ups at his work recognized his strengths as well, and found a job that suited him perfectly!
👉🏽 RELATED POST: What's Your Superpower?
Fake It By Saying Yes to New Challenges
You should also say yes to new challenges and be willing to take risks as you are “faking it.”
I would venture to guess that most new employees experience the feeling of not knowing all of the specific skills and knowledge related to their fields.
One part of confidence is being able to accept tasks slightly beyond your comfort level, with the belief that you can use all of your strengths, knowledge, and skills to complete the tasks. Risk-taking is also vitally important to your confidence.
You have to not be afraid to fail, but instead, see mistakes and failures as an opportunity for growth and learning.
This concept is called the growth mindset and was first coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
#2. Keep an Optimistic Outlook
First, think about how you approach new situations in your workplace. Do you view situations as problems or challenges?
When you view a situation as a problem it is negative and hints that you need to fix something that has gone wrong.
When you reframe your thinking to view problems as challenges instead, you’re looking at the situation as a new or different opportunity. Reframing can be an extremely powerful tool in helping you to achieve confidence in your skills.
This is especially important if you’re in a toxic work environment.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: 6 Steps to Staying Positive No Matter What Happens
Your Thoughts and Feelings Are Powerful
The concepts of reframing and “fake it til you make it” are both related to the field of psychology called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
The premise behind CBT is that our thoughts and feelings are extremely powerful in shaping our actions. The goal of this therapy is to teach patients that even though we may not have control over the world around us, we do have the power to control our reactions and how we interpret these events.
Take the following scenario into consideration, and decide which new employee would be more successful.
- The first employee is feeling overwhelmed at her workload and thinks that she will never learn how to do her position correctly. She’s utterly obsessed with the mistakes that she’s making and fearful of making more.
- Another new employee also feels overwhelmed but accepts that it won’t be like this forever. She understands that she is a new employee, and therefore has a lot of new knowledge and skills to learn. Likewise, she sees that some tasks are more challenging than others, but with the right feedback and improvement, she will be able to figure them out.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How to Train Your Subconscious Mind
Hopefully, you were able to discern that the second employee is likely to be more successful.
Why is that? Her thoughts and feelings are influencing her behavior to be more growth-oriented and focused on improvement.
Fake It With A Personal Growth Mindset
Remember that when you are “faking it to make it,” you are sometimes pretending to know more than you really do.
- If you are like the first employee and something goes wrong, you become fixated on the shame and guilt of making mistakes. You may not have the mindset to go back and fix your mistakes, which would make them all the more glaringly obvious to your employer.
- But, if you are like the second employee and you make a mistake, you use all of your skills and knowledge so that these mistakes are not repeated over and over again. It can keep up the illusion that you know precisely what you are doing, and at the same time, you are building your knowledge and skills needed to be successful in your job field.
Start acting more confident, and you’ll start feeling more confident. That’s how it works!
#3. Let Your Body Language Convey Calm and Confidence
In the Ted Talk, “Fake It Til You Become It,” Amy Cuddy discusses how improving your posture and body language can affect your confidence.
There are powerful poses, such as keeping your body open, reclining back, pushing your shoulders back, and putting your hands on your hips.
If you adopt some of these poses, it can improve your confidence, but also if you are already feeling confident, it can be shown through your body language. Most people may not be able to tell whether you are adopting these poses to feel more confident, or if you are naturally confident!
There are also powerless poses, such as arms crossed, keeping your body closed, holding your hands together, touching your neck/chest, and shrinking into yourself. These convey stress, anxiety, and a lack of confidence, which is the opposite of what we want to do.
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Start Smiling Until You Make It
Start Smiling Until You Make ItAnother commonly cited gesture for boosting confidence is smiling.
In several studies, research subjects held pencils or chopsticks between their teeth to simulate a smile.
When the subjects were smiling, it reduced feelings of stress during a challenging activity by lowering their cortisol levels and reducing their heart rates. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s a fake or genuine smile, just make sure to smile with your eyes as well (You know when you get the little eye crinkles…that type of smile!).
The powerful poses also do something similar in your body; people who use more powerful poses have higher levels of testosterone in their bodies and less cortisol (a hormone that is released in response to stress).
On the other hand, people who exhibit more powerless poses have higher levels of cortisol and lower levels of testosterone.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: 39 Amazing Quotes to Boost Your Confidence Right Now
Imagine a leader that is stress reactive to whatever goes wrong throughout the workday… it doesn’t make for a very conducive or productive work environment!
Power Powers Raise Confidence and Set the Tone
It benefits not only you but those around you to adopt the power poses, so that you can be calm and collected when making important decisions and working on challenging tasks. If you are a leader or trying to work your way up, you want to be a cool-headed individual that others can rely on.
Here are some suggestions for strategies that you can try to help yourself calm down in the midst of stressful situations at work.
- Prioritize your to-do list. Does it really all need to get done now?
- Practice slow breathing. Take several deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. It should begin to slow your heart rate and decrease feelings of stress.
- Take a 5-10 minute break and go for a walk. Sunshine and exercise will help your mind to clear and focus on the task at hand. Sometimes you need to take a step away from stressful situations.
- Listen to instrumental or classical music. I listen to it as I write. It helps me to focus better on my writing, but it also helps my body to unwind and relax.
As Amy Cuddy says in her TED Talk, “Our bodies change our minds…and our minds change our behavior… and our behavior changes our outcomes.” It’s so true! It may feel fake at first, but eventually, your body language and behavior will become second nature to you.
To see “Fake It Til You Become It” watch below.
#4. Emulate Good Leaders
When beginning any new job or profession, you can look to the current leaders to see which leadership qualities are valued within your company.
If you are looking to move up, you will also want to emulate these same characteristics.
Some of the most successful workers are people who are social chameleons and have the ability to adapt to a variety of different situations based on who surrounds them. This may change depending on your career field, but I think we can agree that good leaders may possess certain features.
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Be aware of your words and actions, and how they may portray or misrepresent these qualities.
- Courage: Brave leaders are willing to take risks and continue towards their goals, despite setbacks or failures. It’s so easy to quit when things get too hard, but good leaders persist in the face of challenges. This also ties in with the notion of grit or using perseverance and passion to achieve your goals.
- Character: We have character traits at my school that we teach students. Among those are respect, responsibility, resilience, and reflection. As a leader or someone who wants to move up within a company, you should be someone respectful with a strong sense of responsibility. This will make other employees look up to you, and want to do their best for you and the company
- Investment: Be willing to trust in your fellow employees. Good leaders understand and utilize the strengths of the team that surrounds them. Everyone has something important to bring to the table, and it benefits your staff to acknowledge and value their unique gifts.
#5. Gain the Necessary Skills and Experience
Let’s return to our story about Frank Abagnale. The reason that Abagnale did not continue being a pilot or physician is that he was eventually found out as an impostor.
The ruse worked for a little, but eventually, he was no longer able to mask his inexperience. That should not be the case if you are faking it til you make it.
👉🏽 RELATED POST: How to Get Your Dream Job
As you are portraying your confidence in a new workplace or situation, you should continue to grow and learning order to succeed.
Essentially, so you can stop faking it and finally make it, and start living it!
How to Be Confident In Yourself
The most important part of “faking it til you make it” is believing that you can do it.
First and foremost, you have to believe that you are capable of performing your job before you actually learn the ins and outs of the profession.
In addition to that, you can’t make your employer believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.
Build Your Confidence with Printable Quotes
Stay confident with these beautifully designed printable self-confidence quotes that are perfect for your office, bedroom or wherever you need the reminder to believe in yourself. Each design features brushed-ink letter detailing.
This download comes with 10 high-resolution quotes ready to be printed and posted. Print and post these beautiful quotes anywhere you need to constantly remind yourself that you can.
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Ready to fake it until you make it in your life? Don’t forget the five ways you’ve learned, including:
- Confidence is key!
- Keep an optimistic outlook
- Use your body language
- Emulate food leaders
- Do the work
Most of the points discussed in this post related in some way to being or feeling confident.
As Henry Ford stated so well, “Whether you believe you can or can’t… you’re right.”
Do you need more confidence? Struggling to believe in yourself? It's time to fake it until you make it, here's exactly how! #Confidence #Mindset #MindsetIsEverything #Success
How do you fake it until you make it?
More About Guest Contributor
My name is Melissa Hollinger, and I am the mastermind behind Polka Dot Blonde. Although I am a kindergarten teacher by day, I have always had an obsession with fashion.
Polka Dot Blonde is a blog designed to help every woman pair new, modern trends with more classic pieces. Another goal of my blog is to help women to discover their own style personality and find clothes that can highlight it. I also love discussing positive psychology. I want my readers to feel happy and look good!
Last Updated on November 3, 2024
Tessa says
These are some great tips. I agree about confidence. That is very important when it comes to succeeding. Thank you!
Melissa says
Thanks for your comments! Yes, confidence is definitely vital to success. It’s all about believing in yourself and using your strengths!
Kristy says
I always think of others that I enjoy being around and what is it about them that makes me want to be around them. Then, I try to work on those qualities in myself. It helps me be a stronger person and aspire to be even better. It’s a good balance that we all need to have.
Melissa says
Kristy, that sounds like such a good practice for not just the workplace, but also for bettering yourself in general. I know I had mentioned emulating leaders, but you bring up a great point that it could really be anyone that you enjoy being around.
LaToyia Dennis says
Oh how i love this post. Its so good. The tips are great snd true. I actually needed this reminder today. You’ve made my day.
Melissa says
Thank you so much for your kind words! Aw, I’m so glad I could make your day. Just keep being positive and everything else will follow.
Censie Sawyer says
I need this reminder. I know I lack confidence – even in things and areas of my life I should be confident in. I Have always tried to fake it until I make it – usually it helps me feel more confident in the end.
Melissa says
I’m glad that it helps you! I have found that when I pay attention to my body language, I am a much more assertive and confident teacher. I try to put my hands on my hips and shoulders back.
Melanie says
I have also heard this quote reworded to “Bluff Until You Believe.” Sometimes that is the only thing a person can do to get by, especially if the situation is particularly challenging. You give some good points in this post.
Melissa says
I’ve never heard that before but really like it. The end goal is for yourself and others to believe in the work you’re doing, so it is perfect! I agree, sometimes you have to just try your best with what you’re given. I think it’s the confidence piece that not everyone consciously thinks about.
lisa says
What a great post! This post resonate with me a lot, I’ve always had that Fake it to you make it attitude. I know a lot of it is I do need to build my confidence up more also!
Melissa says
Thanks for commenting! A little more confidence never hurts, in my opinion!
Melissa Dixon says
Getting your mind right is really important on many journeys throughout this life. It can be hard to get yourself to the next level if you have doubts and I believe confidence is key! I love these tips and also need to work on some of them as well. Thanks for sharing, I have some reading and rereading to do!
Melissa says
Yes, it is important for lots of different reasons! Thanks for your comments. I need to work on emulating leaders that I admire.
Shelley King says
I love this article! These words are so true. Catch me if you can was one of my favorites. I find sometimes i sound like i know what I’m talking about more than i really do. I always pick out the high points and stress them and not worry as much about little details. Confidence is very important. I believe the fake it till you make it strategy.
Melissa says
Yes! “Catch Me If You Can” had been on HBO a lot at the time that I wrote this post. I think it makes a lot of sense to use the strategy you suggested. Details can always be hashed out later, but employers want to know that you have an overall understanding of the big picture.
Tami says
Confidence, or lack of, is one of my biggest issues. On the other hand, I am always learning and continuing my education. I see I need some work in a few areas.
Melissa says
I would suggest really looking at your strengths and focusing on those areas. I think you will see a boost in confidence if you know what you do well and how you are unique. Thanks for commenting!
Jeanine says
I know a few people this could actually really help! I know I never really faked it but I had confidence in myself and my work to know one day I would make it and I believe now I have and it feels great!
Melissa says
Aw thank you Jeanine! Sometimes I think people have the perception that they are impostors when they take on a new job, and maybe that’s where confidence comes into play. Maybe you never felt like you were faking because you were already so confident!
Evelyn says
Love this power packed inspirational get your butt up and get to work post👍🏼 You have weaved in inspiration, logic, positivity and tied it in with the end result. Will be referring back to this over and over again. Thank you 💗
Melissa says
Thank you so much for your comments! You made my day!
Tasheena @ SimplyTasheena.com says
I really enjoyed reading this post by Melissa. I found a lot of great tips. I agree, that confidence is pretty much everything!
Melissa says
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed reading. I guess it really does all come down to confidence!
chandresh says
Belief and faith can move mountains and yes , if you start believing in urself . good things will start happening with you .. All about attitude
Melissa says
Yes, it really is all about attitude. It can change your demeanor and your actions (looking confident and being able to take risks).
jhilmil says
This is such a beautiful post to read and implement many things in life. Having the confidence, learning new skills, using them and putting our best confident foot forward is so important. Also, calmness is a skill that needs to be practised for a peaceful life.
Melissa says
I’m glad that you pointed out how being calm can be so powerful. We have a quote at school about staying calm for the sake of our students. “When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not to join in their chaos.” It definitely helps to be a more effective teacher. Thanks for your comments!
Bites for Foodies says
Of all the positive quotes and affirmations I’ve read and seen this one is short and sweet and rings true! You have to believe for it to happen!
Melissa says
I’m big into believing in yourself. That quote pretty much sums it all up, I think! You’re right!
Katherine Hackworthy says
Such an empowering post! I strongly agree that confidence will make a big difference in life. Believing in yourself and in what you can do will definitely help you achieve your goals. 🙂
Melissa says
Yes! Confidence definitely helps in all areas of life. Thanks for reading and commenting. 😊
Dannii says
This is how I try to live my life. Confidence really is key when it comes to faking it.
Melissa says
That’s awesome! Good for you!
Moipone says
Absolutely fake it till you make it. Loved the story about the hair pin. Enjoyed the post a lot and happy thanksgiving
Melissa says
Aw, thank you! It really helped me shift my mindset because I thought of my previous classes and how far they had come. It reminded me that I am a great teacher and that there was no need to be nervous! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too.
Mia Fox says
That’s a great read Melissa and it really has been my husband and my life motto.
And we made it really far that way. I think the difficult part is really staying authentic while living a life you are not quite there yet.
It worked great for us!
x Mia
Melissa says
It was interesting to learn about your personal experience with this motto. I agree that YOU yourself can’t be fake. Also, I sometimes wonder if any of us have ever truly arrived. I always feel like I’m not quite there yet in many aspects of life.
Margaret Kamara says
I love all the inspirational and motivational quotes! Fake it to make it had always been my motto
Melissa says
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Inspirational quotes always seem to pick me up when I’m feeling unmotivated or down on myself.
Kate says
This is a great guide and definitely what I needed to read on this Monday after the long weekend. Thanks for posting.
Melissa says
Thank you for your comments. Have a great week!
michenn (@michennblog) says
i love this post. Confidence is so important and it’s the best way to fake it. Enough faking, and it might come true!
Melissa says
Exactly! Thanks for commenting. It really is everything to success!
Kelly Reci says
Confidence has a great impact on ourselves. Believe what we are doing. Think what is important and where we really want to go.
Melissa says
Yes, I totally agree. If you can visualize yourself where you want to be, it helps you to actually get there!
jordyn says
Thanks for all the tips! These are great for mine or anyones confidence!
Melissa says
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them Jordyn!
Ronnie says
Thanks for the tips – they will help at work! I noticed that people at my work who got promoted weren’t brighter or more hard working, but rather, knew how to sell their successes. This confidence made them seem more on-top of their game.
Melissa says
It is true, there are people that really know how to play to their strengths! They also make it known to higher ups (sort of like…look at what I can do really, really well!). They make sure other people know about it.
GiGi Eats says
Keeping a smile on my face REGARDLESS of the situation always helps me push through and get ahead. People always think I am happy go lucky and that’s how I like it!
Melissa says
That’s good that you have such an optimistic, positive attitude. I’m sure it really does take you far!
Julie I Aloha Lovely says
Love it. As long as you are gaining the skills to back it up, you’re good to go!
Melissa says
Thanks! Exactly. That’s the caveat I wanted to highlight. You can’t just fake it and survive. You have to always keep growing and learning.
Julie Hoag says
Love these points about boosting confidence and helping your brain think as a success so you become one. Great read!!
Melissa says
Thank you so much Julie!
Kimberly Lewis says
I really need this! I’m always trying to fake it to make it!
Melissa says
That’s awesome. How is it going for you? 😊
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
Excellent post! The great thing about it is, the advice you give is relevant in SO many life situations! I’m going to share this with a family member who is graduating from college soon – this will help her tremendously!
Melissa says
Thank you for your kind words and thanks for sharing the post as well. As I was writing it, I was thinking more along the lines of work, but after reading comments, I realize that there are many situations that you could apply it to!
Karlyn Cruz says
It’s funny to me to find your post because I was just thinking about how I’ve faked it to make it in the past. I once convinced a recruiter that I was worth triple what I was making simply for the confidence in my interview and of course, the things I talked about.
I think for most jobs, unless it’s completely out your depth, have a learning curve. Plus you’ll get to know how to do a job best once you’re already in it.
Melissa says
I agree! I think it’s important to know what companies and employers are looking for. It helps you to sell yourself. Good point about all jobs having a learning curve. So true!
Amy Marohl says
I really enjoyed this article. I especially love the part about how you see situations, whether it is a problem or challenge. I think I handle it better when I see it as a challenge, for sure!
Stephanie, One Caring Mom says
I absolutely love tip #3! I always feel so much better when I sit up straight. It really helps me focus and honestly makes me ridiculously confident! I can’t wait to implement all of these!
Alvern at Success Unscrambled says
So true Melissa, today I sat reading ‘The Travelers Gift’ for the 3rd time where the advice is given that everything we are today is based on the decisions we made in the past. Taking your advice onboard we just need to make better decisions with confidence to help change our current scenario. Thanks for sharing.