Harvard review describes Imposter syndrome as: “ A collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evidence of success.  “imposters” suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.”

One of the first things we need to accomplish is to recognize and name this phenomenon.  How do we do this?  How is it different from everyday self-doubt? Look for patterns,  When do you feel it? Is it when we are tired, or when we have been stressed already.

Look back to past experiences to see if there’s a connection.  Was something said in our childhood by someone in authority, such as a parent aunts, uncles, or a teacher?  Is it possible that we may have experienced a label that was unfortunately and more importantly inaccurately use to describe us? We can make the connection and use the awareness of it to help us to overcome the feeling of deep inadequacy that we may feel even though we are 100% qualified for the task.

We can then proceed to replace the negative feeling with facts.  For Instance, remember getting praised for doing a similar task well in the past. Or remember our supervisor giving us praise for a job well done in the field. Go over accomplishments that we have earned and listen to friends and family who know us well tell us about the times that we soared.

It is not a completely bad thing if we look at it from another perspective. A little self-doubt can be a good thing.  We learn from it by implementing a plan B or C or however many are needed.

Look at the people who are giving us negative feedback harshly in a different light as well. The boss might be going through something personal.  Or a rough time.

Be aware of negative self-talk.  Visualize doing well before starting and not concentrating on impending doom.   Be prepared. 

Learn to be proud of ourselves.  Remember courage comes from risk. Sometimes it seems we fail.  But if we learn from it is always a win.

Join us in the community "Get Down To The Brass Tacks"