Impostor syndrome, I knew what it was but didn't know it had a name. Like me, many people have this - not believing they have the necessary skills for their current role, telling themselves they don't deserve to be in the position they are in, feeling that they are a fraud.
If you have this syndrome, you will dismiss your successes as pure luck and not from your hard work. Or, maybe you will attribute your successes to those around you. I once thought it was self-doubt, and to an extent it is.
It was first thought that impostor syndrome was more prevalent in women, recent studies show it is 50/50 men and women. It is not a mental disorder in case you are wondering, it is simply a reaction to certain stimuli.
There are therapies to overcome this phenomenon if you wish to pursue them. But do you really need them?
You could instead focus on these simple things;
- Accept that you are as good as others say you are and that you got to where you are because of you.
- Stop comparing yourself to others, each of us is unique and have something to offer.
- If you make a mistake, it's not because you are an impostor, it's because you made a mistake. That's all, a simple mistake.
- Don't hold back, prove to the world that you are as good as others say that you are.
- Speak up, tell others what you know, be part of that high-level conversation.
Have confidence that you are better than you think you are, that you are where you are today because of your skills, that you deserve everything you have worked for.
After all, humility is a good thing, and may be that's all it is for you.
Let's talk!