Imposter Syndrome | Fight The Fraud & Focus On The Now
This post is all about imposter syndrome.
Photo by Cottonbro via Pexels
You know when something really good happens to you like you land your first job after college, and suddenly the accomplishment feels way bigger than who you are in the present moment? You’re almost consumed by it and overwhelmed by feelings of ineptitude, inadequacy, and just being straight up out of place. All of this causes one single question to circulate in your mind- Am I good enough?
Long story short, imposter syndrome hits you right in the face.
But I’m here to tell you yes, everyone suffers from it, but no, you’re not a fraud.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Very Well Mind describes it as “an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. While this definition is usually narrowly applied to intelligence and achievement, it has links to perfectionism and the social context.”
In short, it’s feeling like you’re a fraud and undeserving of the great accolades and achievements that come your way when in reality, you’ve earned them.
Imposter Syndrome most commonly hits after you’ve done something really amazing. Possibly even something you’ve been working towards for months and years. It can often be confused as an internal fear of success, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Many don’t even know that they have Imposter syndrome, because it manifests itself in five different ways.
5 Types of Imposter Syndrome
1. The Superhero
The feelings of inadequacy can really get to Superheroes, compelling them to work harder than ever before and constantly push against their upper limits. Specifically, they compare themselves to friends, family, or colleagues and insist on pushing regardless of the negative effects it may have on their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. This looks like seeking validation from a source outside of yourself- i.e. a boss or significant other.
2. The Perfectionist
Perfectionists set unbelievably high standards for themselves. Success is almost unachievable because they’re quick to point out flaws in their work or areas of improvement. Perfectionists are rarely satisfied and ignore their strengths, leading to a great amount of anxiety and self-pressure.
3. The Natural Genius
Like Perfectionists, Natural Geniuses have impossibly high standards. They gage their success on how fast they can grasp new concepts and skills and often feel shame when it takes longer than expected which in more times than not, is right after the first try.
4. The Soloist
Contrary to the Superhero, the Soloist is very independent, so their self-worth stems from their own productivity. Asking for help makes them feel weak and even more so like a fraud, so they avoid it at all costs. Doing so could result in feelings of unworthiness and shame.
5. The Expert
Experts are convinced that they will never know enough, but they try to learn as much as possible and like the other types, sacrifice personal, mental, and physical wellbeing. They often disregard their own knowledge and experience and fear being exposed as inexperienced or unknowledgeable in front of others, specifically partners or colleagues.
How can I get over this?
Imposter Syndrome can truly make you your own enemy and lead to self-sabotaging habits and practices. But to get over it, there are multiple plans of action including addressing your own feelings of self-doubt, stopping the comparison of yourself to others, investing in some great personal development books to remember who you are, and remembering it’s natural for high achievers.
These next two tips I have found to be the most effective in dealing with my own Imposter Syndrome.
Remind yourself who you are
This comes in many forms including affirmations and journaling to name a few. Try amending this by affirming yourself and your hard work through affirmations and benchmarking your progress. Another way is to set achievable KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and allow yourself to celebrate once they are achieved.
I saw a video on TikTok where they made a jar of accomplishments by writing down every time they did something noteworthy or hit a goal, so when Imposter Syndrome creeps in, they can remind themselves how great they are through the jar of notes.
It’s much easier to see how great you are if you can see how far you’ve come.
Give up on Perfect
We’re human, and we all make mistakes. But giving yourself the room to make mistakes and be human is what makes the difference. That change in mindset is what will set you up for success and change how you view your life and situations.
The relationship you have with yourself is the most important one you will ever have in your life, so don’t sabotage it with unrealistic expectations and instead, be gentle and forgiving. You may think your accomplishments all boil down to one thing…pure luck. But the reality is, if you’ve achieved this success once, that means it is within you to achieve it again and again. You will literally have the same results every time because of the quality of work you produce.
My final takeaway for you: Imposter syndrome affects those who are high achievers instead of actual frauds. Imposter Syndrome will make you your own worst enemy if you let it. Even Maya Angelou, Lady Gaga, and Einstein had imposter syndrome, so I guess you can think of it as being in good company.