Liam’s Story

Bio

Liam Oliver is a newfound Performance Nutritionist, having recently completed the MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition course at Leeds Beckett University, UK, accredited by the Sport and Exercise Nutrition register (SENr). Liam explained how he has been fortunate and privileged enough to have worked with athletes with various goals and challenges including athletics, rugby, boccia, and para-powerlifting and is incredibly grateful for consistent mentorship along the way.

Stop! Imposter!

Imposter syndrome – noun

“the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills.”

Sound familiar? It does to me. I am, by no means, claiming to have had achievements that deserve a Nobel prize, a hefty monetary reward, or even significant praise. That said, I recognise, at least now, that there are achievements of which I should be proud. And I certainly am, again, at least now. So, what was it that stopped me from feeling confident in my capability of doing something? I’m not quite sure. Especially in something that I have worked hard to make my specialism.  I can reflect now and suggest a couple of things it might have been. I’ll cut to the chase and suggest some things to think about if you get this feeling. Hand on heart that I booked many meetings with mentors, with reasons like the fear of calculating the Harris-Benedict equation wrong. Seems silly now. But that’s what I mean. Back then, I needed reassurance, and I assure you that confidence comes with experience. So get as much as you can in whatever career niche it is you love!

Progress not Perfection

Perfectionistic traits. Maybe it’s always wanting to do better, or the best, of your own/others work…maybe it’s not feeling satisfied with something you’ve produced…maybe it’s feeling guilty if you’re not working when others are…or maybe it’s working especially when others are not. Let me get this straight, I will always want to do better. For myself and for those for whom it is my career to support and help to improve in health and sports performance. Where I draw the line, and the mantra I give myself, is to strive for progress not perfection. I have now realised that the feelings of satisfaction, progress, perfection, are very subjective. Chances are, some of us could see an athlete smash a world record, or achieve 100% as an academic grade, and still not be satisfied. Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change. I’d recommend that anybody think carefully about progress, not perfection. There is always progress to be made, again, because it seems quite subjective. See it as a positive. “Wow, I can still keep getting better”. For me, it’s been the skills I learn in the process that counts.

Process and Outcome-Based Thinking

To paraphrase James Clear, I tried to think more about the process. If you work hard on the process, and fully believe in yourself, the outcome could (to an extent) take care of itself. I am not sure of any science here but if I am happy with my approach to the process, I am much more likely to be happy with the outcome, regardless of what that outcome actually is. For example, if I spent three hours producing a nutrition education presentation, practised and executed the delivery, but had no interest in further presentations, I would be fulfilled by the effort I put in and see it as an opportunity to work out why the outcome perhaps didn’t work out. Again, I’m not trying to preach or act like I’m some motivational speaker who makes billions because I use and get these methods right every time. The opposite, in fact. I try to get this right, but this is just my way of doing it, and it doesn’t always work out – even for me. To a degree, the work we do as performance nutritionists is, unsurprisingly, performance driven. If you are not seeing results, this could have repercussions. What I am trying to get across is that the results go so much deeper than just the feedback sheets, athlete/team’s competition results on a weekend, or whether somebody hits 5-a-day regularly. The results and impact you have can develop if you get to know staff and players, meet their needs by adjusting individual/group presentations and nutrition plans, support other sports science disciplines and go the extra mile, or just remember little things about somebody’s schedule. This is all part of the process, and if you immerse yourself in the environment and etch your signature into the culture/routine of the sport and/or athletes you are with – that is a result in itself. Value the process and invest your time in it.

Me Against The World? No Chance!

Interindividual comparison is an easy trap to fall into. It’s easy to compare yourself to coursemates, other nutritionists (or S&C, physiologists, etc – you insert as appropriate here). The key is to realise that they are not you! Just like there are so many factors that influence our nutrition, there are so many things that influence a person’s processes and outcome. No two of these are the same. I could look up to somebody in sports nutrition and think “Man, how do I get there I need to do what they did…” and I wouldn’t know that they had ten years’ more experience, an extra degree, and a distinct network in a particular sport. So why compare? Maybe because of that drive for results. Another catchphrase I like to use is: control the controllables. Simply put, you can only control what you do, so focus on that, and your processes and outcomes will take care of themselves.

Final Words

My experiences have helped me learn and mature as a student, and, over time I am proud to have overcome some obstacles regarding imposter syndrome. For whoever needs it hear it, self-confidence will come. Time will pass. That’s inevitable. You WILL meet that deadline. You WILL present that practical session. You WILL write that paper. You WILL do it – back yourself. I know imposter syndrome will come and go in my career for many reasons, and it probably even comes to professors and those who have worked for decades, too. We’re not alone. The first step is recognising it. It’s how you respond to it that defines your progress.