Most of us have felt self-doubt and unworthiness at some point in our lives. However, if your
achievements are the result of your own knowledge, hard effort, and planning and you still feel
inadequate, you are most likely suffering from impostor syndrome.
People who suffer from this syndrome frequently feel like frauds, despite the fact that they
are knowledgeable, experienced, qualified professionals who deserve any praises and
appreciation they receive. Rather than appreciating their accomplishments, they are concerned
that they have deceived others into thinking they are good enough. As a result, they live
in constant terror of being "discovered" or "exposed."
Impostor syndrome is really rather common, with researchers estimating that up to 70%
of people have experienced it at some point in their lives. But that doesn't make it any
less destructive to a person's self-esteem and future growth.
So, if you suspect you have imposter syndrome or something similar, know that there are
strategies to combat these feelings in a healthy, constructive way. Today I am talking about
how to deal with imposter syndrome in 7 helpful ways. Let’s get into it.
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The first way how to beat imposter syndrome is to know the signs.
We typically overlook imposter syndrome symptoms that arise in our daily lives. Recognizing
these clues, on the other hand, is the first step toward conquering them.
If you feel like you "got lucky" when you actually prepared well and worked hard, you
may be suffering from impostor syndrome. Some other signs you might have imposter syndrome
are that you have a difficult time accepting compliments.
When you apologize for something you didn't do, it's because you didn't do anything wrong.
You hold yourself to extraordinarily – and often unreasonably – high standards.
The fear of failure paralyzes you. You avoid showing confidence because you believe
it would be perceived as excessive or annoying. You're convinced that you're not good enough.
Pay attention to your language choices, both when speaking with others and while thinking
to yourself, especially when it concerns work. If your personal achievement or the praise
you receive from others makes you uneasy, think about where those thoughts came from
and what they mean in your life.
The second way in overcoming imposter syndrome is to know you're not alone.
When you are dealing with imposter syndrome, it is far too easy to feel like you are alone
on an island. That just isn’t the case. When you have imposter syndrome, one of the
most primary sources of encouragement is learning how many extremely successful people, both
male, and female, have developed wonderful careers despite dealing with it on a regular
basis. Which successful people have spoken out about
their impostor syndrome? The following are quotes from The New York Times and Forbes:
"I've written eleven volumes, but every time I think, 'Oh no, they're going to find out
now.'" 'I've played a game on everyone, and they're going to find out.'" - Maya Angelou,
Author, Poet, and Civil Rights Activist: Actor Don Cheadle said, "All I see is everything
I'm doing incorrectly that is a sham and a phony."
"The beauty of impostor syndrome is that you alternate between great egomania and a total
sense of: 'I'm a fraud!'" Oh no, they've figured me out! I'm a liar!' So you just try to enjoy
the egomania when it occurs, and then slide through the thought of fraud.” - Tina Fey,
actress, writer, and producer, from her book Bossypants.
As I’ve said earlier, we all go through it at some point in our lives. You need to
know that you aren’t the only one. If you've enjoyed this video so far, please
show your appreciation by clicking the like button. That tells YouTube that you believe
other people should see this video as well. The third way to deal with imposter syndrome
is to Distinguish between humility and fear. There's taking pride in your hard work and
successes, and then there's feeling overwhelmed by them. Being good at something might sometimes
cause us to underestimate its worth. Isn't it sort of the goal for your skill to look
and feel natural after spending so much time fine-tuning it?.
It all boils down to a feeling of inadequacy. When you feel undeserving, any kind response,
positive feedback, or reward feels like a ruse, a scam, or the luck of the draw.
It is possible to feel worthy without feeling entitled, and overcoming imposter syndrome
is all about finding a solid balance between the two. Defending your turf has nothing to
do with humility or worthiness. It is not necessary to feel like a fraud in order to
be gracious, open, or modest. The next way to overcoming imposter syndrome
is to Let go of your inner perfectionist. I've made several videos explaining how perfectionism,
and there are links to them in the description, can be a major obstacle for productivity.
It turns out that it can also be a big hurdle to overcoming imposter syndrome.
Many people who suffer from imposter syndrome are high achievers; they hold themselves to
extremely high standards and are committed to doing their best and being the best. Perfectionism,
on the other hand, intensifies your impostor syndrome. When you feel like a fake, it's
usually because you're comparing yourself to an impossible or unrealistic *perfect*
conclusion.
Not only is it impossible for anyone to do everything perfectly, but committing yourself
to that level can be extremely unproductive. At some point, you must step back and ask
yourself, "When is good enough good enough?" What's the bottom line? While striving for
perfection is admirable, it is rarely realistic – and in many cases, it is unproductive,
making you feel even more like a fraud. The fifth way on how to overcome imposter
syndrome is to Be kind to yourself. Remove the burden from yourself by not aiming
to be the expert on day one. Impostor syndrome manifests itself frequently
as a voice in our heads berating us with negative messages like "you're not smart enough" or
"you're a fraud. Negative self-talk is a negative habit that
can have a significant impact on our stress and anxiety levels.
"Being kind to yourself" simply entails changing the way you talk to yourself in your thoughts
by engaging in positive self-talk. It can not only help you reduce tension and stress,
but it can also help you have the courage to accomplish things that will bring you greater
benefits. For most of her career, Maria Klawe, president
of Harvey Mudd College, suffered from "impostoritis." While it was difficult for her to entirely
mute the negative ideas, she worked hard to add good concepts to her inner voice. "Now,
most days, I wake up with a voice on the left side of my head telling me what a terrible
failure I am," she wrote. "However, the voice on the right side tells me that I have the
power to influence the world, and I try to listen to it more."
Start by trying to catch yourself whenever you have negative thoughts. Then, turn around
and contradict your own point. For example, if you catch yourself saying, "I just got
lucky," push yourself by asking, "What steps did I take and how much work did I put in
to get here?" Then, you can use affirmations to answer your
own question, which are short, targeted, positive remarks about a goal you have. In this situation,
one could say, "I worked hard – and I always work hard."
Repeating affirmations like these have been shown by psychologists to reduce tension and
anxiety, maybe because these positive remarks construct a bridge into your subconscious
mind. By the way, if you enjoyed our breakfast brainfood
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The next way you can beat imposter syndrome is to Track and measure your successes.
One of the most difficult things to grasp when you feel like an impostor is how much
of a role you have in your own achievements. You may credit them to chance or the efforts
of others, when in fact, your own efforts, knowledge, and preparedness had a major influence.
Keep track of your victories and write them down to further show yourself that you're
doing well. There are numerous ways to track these successes,
and the measurements you choose will be entirely dependent on your profession or what you’re
trying to accomplish. If you're a blogger, you might monitor your posts' monthly average
page views and compare them to the team average. Keep a file on your computer of wins and positive
reinforcement both at work and in your personal life, in the same way, that you keep track
of your success metrics. One of the best things I've done is set up a "Happy" folder in my
personal Gmail account, where I've saved everything from my college acceptance email to praise
from coworkers and managers. I open that Gmail folder and skim through them whenever I need
a pick-me-up. You can build an email folder for these messages
as I did, or you can create something similar to a swipe file on your computer or phone
to store screenshots of emails, tweets, and so on.
The last and probably most helpful ways to overcome imposter syndrome is to Say "yes"
to new opportunities. It's tough to say "yes" to everything, especially
if you're overworked or overburdened. But it's all too typical for people with imposter
syndrome to pass up career opportunities because they don't believe they'd be competent enough.
When faced with a great chance, it's critical to determine between the voice in your head
telling you that you can't do it because you're not worthy and the one telling you that you
can't do it because you have too much on your plate. The first one is your impostor syndrome
expressing itself. But keep in mind that taking on tough new
tasks and succeeding at them can open up a lot of opportunities for you. Don't let your
inner impostor prevent you from taking advantage of these game-changing chances. They can help
you learn, grow, and succeed in your life.
Remember Richard Branson's famous quote: "If someone offers you an incredible opportunity
and you are unsure if you can handle it, say yes. Then you can learn how to do it later."
While taking on a position or project you're not sure you can succeed in can be scary,
remember that you were asked to do it for a purpose, and there's nothing wrong with
learning new things and asking questions along the way.
Start recognizing and implementing these tips into your everyday life and you will start
to feel that imposter syndrome melt away and that you are less stressed and more accomplished
than you thought you could be.
You’ve got this. Now go get it done.
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