Seven Signs You Might Be Suffering From Imposter Syndrome

What Is Imposter Syndrome?What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is the annoying voice in your head that kicks in at the worst possible moment that confirms your internal belief that you’ might not be as competent as others think you are. Ironically, Imposter syndrome often manifests itself when people give you praise or positive feedback that makes you feel undeserving, even though all the evidence suggests that you’re highly skilled. At its worst, you may feel like a fraud.

The concept was first coined in the 1970s by psychologists to describe an experience often felt by athletes and business executives. They discovered that even the most recognized individuals often failed to understand their worth, which could cause performance problems.

Imposter syndrome can cause a great deal of damage to your work, career, and personal life, so it's important to recognize the signs early and take action to stop it.

Minimizing Your Achievements

People with imposter syndrome truly believe achievements are not a big deal. When someone praises you, you instinctually rebut it and deep down truly don’t believe that you’re deserving. You may automatically point out the contributions of others to minimize what you did.

We have all had those moments; When you are psyching yourself up to do something you’ve done a million times before but you still can’t shake the suspicion that maybe you are just a big, fat. fraud and today is the day that everyone’s going to find out? It’s natural to sometimes feel inadequate but if its becoming the norm, then you could be suffering from a much more serious ailment known as imposter syndrome.

Chalking It Up to Luck

People with imposter syndrome attribute their accomplishments to luck. They overstate the role chance plays in their lives, missing completely the skill and hard work that really made it all happen.

An Impossible Standard of Success

You may set an impossibly high standard of success for yourself and then feel that you don’t deserve to achieve it. One way to tell if this is an issue is to determine whether you feel fear or anxiety when you think about the goals you want to reach. This is a symptom of the perfectionism that’s often at the core of imposter syndrome.

Fear You’re Not Measuring up

People with imposter syndrome often secretly fear they don’t measure up to other’s expectations. These could be the expectations of your boss at work, your family members, or even friends and business partners. No matter how often they confirm that you’re doing a great job, you feel like it’s never enough.

You’re on the ‘Imposter Cycle’

The imposter cycle is a pattern that starts with anxiety leading to intense over-preparation and planning. Driven by the fear of not doing a looming task well, you go through a frantic process of preparing.This may be accompanied by procrastination and excuse-making. When the project is accomplished, you feel a momentary sense of satisfaction until you think of the next undertaking.

You Don’t Ask What You’re Worth

When you don’t understand your true worth, you don’t ask for what you deserve. This includes the pay you should be receiving. The feeling of inadequacy will impede your need to ask for a raise, quote your services, or make any other kind of big ask.

10 Tips to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome:

Know the Signs.

You’ve learned the signs here, so you can put this to use right now. Pay attention to your words and actions and interrogate the feelings that arise. Where are they coming from and why?

Fight Imposter Syndrome with Facts.

The negative feelings you feel aren’t based on reality. Looking at the facts can help. Gather evidence that shows how much progress you’ve made and how much you’ve achieved then surround yourself with it when you need a reminder.

Share Your Feelings.

You’re not alone in feeling the way you do. Did you know that such obvious high-achievers as Michelle Obama and Maya Angelou have expressed these same feelings? Reach out to others who think themselves inadequate and share your feelings. This will help you put things in perspective.

Learn Not To Compare.

Imposter feelings often arise from erroneously comparing ourselves to others. Remember that all of us are different and we all have our own paths. Avoid comparing yourself to others.

Celebrate Your Successes.

If you suffer from imposter syndrome, you’re focusing on your failures and shortcomings rather than your successes. Remind yourself of the exceptional things you’ve achieved.

List up Your Strengths.

Make a list of your skills, qualifications, experience, and natural strengths. Use this list to boost your confidence whenever you need it.

Switch Negative to Positive and Reframe Failure.

We all know this but often choose to ignore that how we talk to, and about ourselves and our business, shapes how to think and react to situations. We often let negative or dismissive self-talk drive feelings of insecurity in an effort to respond to praise or criticism. Try to recognize your negative talk and replace it with something positive.

The great thing about the human brain is that we can decide HOW we want to perceive a situation - particularly in business. We can decide if losing a customer is an existential crisis or an opportunity for review and change, or if one bad day has to mean a lifetime of sadness.  So take a moment to ask yourself what “failure” means to you. And then turn it on its head. Reframe it so that it’s not something bad, but a valuable learning experience or an opportunity for improvement. You always have the right to choose how you view a situation - this is possibly the most valuable lesson I learned in life - not just business - so use that right ruthlessly! Life is exactly what you make it. (Sorry, got a bit excited there!)

Visualize Success.

You need to believe it to see it - What does success look like? What does it mean to you? How would it change your life? Then visualize yourself making it really happen. And then revisit that vision, every day.  This will help you with setting impossible standards and being more satisfied with your achievements.

Let Go Of Perfectionism

Let's be honest - perfect is dull - and a little suspicious because well know that nobody is perfect, we all have flaws, make mistakes, we grow and we move on.  There is an old saying by Voltaire (I think!)  "Perfect is the enemy of good". And it's so true. Focus on your progress and growth and quit trying to be perfect, because you really don't want to be! You want to be you, flawsome as you are, just trying to do your best. Adjust your standards and learn to do “good enough” while striving to do better - you will feel so much better when you do!

I know first-hand, that Imposter Syndrome can be a crippling feeling - I lost years of progress by allowing it to influence my business and marketing, but it doesn't have to be that way for you. If you want to learn how to overcome Imposter Syndrome, become an authority in your space and free yourself to put your best self forward, let's chat! Book a free consultation today and let's get you back out there and feeling good about it!