Signs you Might be Experiencing Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is defined as, “anxiety or self-doubt that results from persistently undervaluing one’s competence and active role in achieving success, while falsely attributing one’s accomplishments to luck or other external forces.” Now that you know what impostor syndrome is, how do you know if you are living with it?

 

Five Signs You Have Impostor Syndrome

 

Here are five common signs that you are living with impostor syndrome.

 

1. You cannot assess your skills and abilities realistically because you are giving yourself unrealistic goals to accomplish.

 

2. You connect your success to the outcome, giving no thought to the amount of work you put forth.

 

3. You put down your own efforts and accomplishments by shrugging them off as if they were “not that good”.

 

4. You live in constant fear of failing to meet your own expectations but fail to acknowledge the goals you’ve reached.

 

5. You engage in activities that self-sabotage potential success by choosing to deliberately procrastinate.

 

In order to protect their ego and self-esteem, when faced with tough situations, many people with imposter syndrome will look for a way out.  Living with impostor syndrome includes negative side effects such as creating a barrier to hinder your chances of success. Some individuals use their limiting beliefs, or feelings of impostor syndrome, for motivation.

Impostor syndrome keeps you from internally accepting or believing your abilities or successes. The more you accomplish and succeed, the stronger the negative thoughts can become.

Do you struggle with thoughts or feelings of being a fraud in your career or at school? Maybe you completed a goal and yet you don’t feel you did it well enough. This is what living with imposter syndrome feels like. Even though you accomplished the goal you set out to do, you can’t seem to internally believe it was good enough.

Internal feelings can increase the anxiety and could lead to intense feelings of being a fraud. This creates a vicious cycle, and it may require the help of a psychologist or therapist to overcome this phenomenon. If the impostor syndrome is not correctly handled, it can lead to feelings of isolation or even feelings of dread.

Did you know that impostor syndrome can often be passed down to a person from their family, unknowingly as it may not be evident until later in their teens or adulthood. Another potential cause may be from entering a new career field where you internally compare your skills to those who have been at the job longer than yourself. There could also be a number of external factors that could cause a person to be inflicted with impostor syndrome.

Once you realize you have impostor syndrome, you can take steps to overcome it. Some of these steps include sharing your feelings and fears with trusted individuals. Ask yourself if your thoughts are honest and rational. Assess whether you are comparing yourself to others without even realizing it. Keep in mind that successful people struggle with impostor syndrome and often relate their success to luck instead of hard work. Let your guard down and let others see you for who you really are.

Are Your Fears Holding You Back?

Fear, a basic instinct designed with the sole purpose of human survival is also an emotion that can hold you back from reaching your goals and levels of success in your career - or even in school. Taking risks is a part of everyday life but can hinder you if you become fearful of the unknown. Be honest with yourself, how often do you say no to something just because you are fearful of what you think could happen?

There are 5 types of fears and either one (or a combination) may be holding you back.

1. Feeling inadequate – Do you fear you are not good enough or lack the skills to pursue your dreams? You can overcome this fear by knowing and understanding your importance in a particular area of your life.
2. The unknown – Do you have the common fear of the unknown? You can overcome this fear by having a vision for yourself and your future.
3. FOMO – Fear of Missing Out is when you wish you were doing what others are doing because it looks better than what you’re doing. This type of fear is a distraction that can keep you from forming real relationships.
4. Change – Fear of change can steal your joy and peace. To overcome this fear, take time to enjoy the moment you are in. Doing this can help you appreciate your life and relationships in a deeper manner.
5. Being judged – No one wants to be judged by others and being vulnerable opens you up for the possibility of being judged. Adam Kirk Smith, Author of “The Bravest You” says “embrace your personal story” to overcome this fear.

Fear can become so crippling that it can hold you back from your true potential. It is impossible to live a completely fear-free life however, you can adopt ways to overcome the fears that life will present to you. The important thing to remember is to be open and honest with yourself about your fears. You can journal any fears that you may have which will help you to overcome them. Most fears come from the unknown or just having the thought of taking a risk. No one wants to be judged so it's understanding how one may want to avoid these types of situations but it's important to understand that lack of self-esteem or self-confidence could be an underlying cause of such fears. 

Once you are ready to overcome your fears, you want to establish a purpose for taking a risk; by doing this, you can remove that fear. Knowing what your purpose is will help you to overcome many fears in life. Purpose and meaning in life can help you move past your fears and guide you along your life's journey.

Another step you can take to overcome your fears is to introduce positive affirmations when you are faced with a fear. Knowing where you are and what you want can help you move from a state of fear to a position of success. 

Finally, understand that not all fear is negative, some can actually save your life and help you through a life-or-death situation.  According to PsychologyToday.com, "Real fear can save our lives, embrace it. Manufactured fear divides us, let it go. And be sure to give fear the attention it needs so you can distinguish between the two."