We’ve all experienced feelings of self-doubt from time to
time. Some days you just feel just ‘off.’ Maybe you blundered your way through
a job interview or pitched an idea that was shot down in a ball of flames at
work. These things happen and it can be hard to pick ourselves up and dust
ourselves off again. But what about when self-doubt starts manifesting as more
than just the occasional negative thought?
Imposter syndrome, although rarely
talked about, is something that up to 70% of people have experienced in their
lifetime. The feeling of being a fake or a fraud has affected such successful
heavy-weights as Maya Angelou, Serena Williams, David Bowie and Sheryl
Sandberg. If there’s one thing we can take away from this knowledge it’s that
a) literally more than half the population will feel this way at some point and
b) it’s not altogether bad company to be in.
Imposter syndrome isn’t just something that can make us feel
crap about ourselves it can also have financial implications. It was the reason
I didn’t negotiate my job salary until I was in my third professional role and
has cost me the potential job earnings of every job I’ve failed to apply for
because I couldn’t do all 500 things the job advertisement asked for. Rather
than just revel in the feeling of not-being-enough I’ve decided the time has
come to conquer my imposter syndrome. Here’s how I’m doing it.
Reinforcing what you already know. I’ve been job hunting for
a couple of months now (ain’t nothing like being unemployed to really level-up
your imposter syndrome) and it’s easy to get caught in the trap of equating a
lack of call backs to your - perceived - lack of skills. One thing I have found
helpful is reading up on the industry I’m applying into. This has a two fold
effect of often learning about some cool new things but also reinforcing that I
already know this shiz. I recommend signing up to some free industry
newsletters or even completing a short intro course if there’s one area of your
skill set that is bugging you. I recently completed a free two hour short
course in digital marketing and although I learned a few new tips and
strategies, it also reinforced to me just how much I do know.
Embracing gratitude. I’m a naturally anxious person so
sometimes being given a chance to prove myself can feel like I’m setting myself
up for failure. My mind immediately races thorough all the things I think I
can’t do instead of what I can. Rather than embracing this glass-half-empty
perspective I’ve decided to seek out opportunities as opposed to the hurdles in
my way. Instead of feeling sick at the thought of leading a group of my peers
in a project it’s a great opportunity for me to champion my colleagues and level
up my skills in an area I want to improve in.
Rewriting my narrative. Another fun that anxious brains like
to do is equate our past successes with luck rather than skill. I’m a firm
believer that we spend too much time dwelling on our failings and not enough
championing our successes. While it’s important to learn from our mistakes it’s
also helpful (and confidence building) to remember the steps we took to earn
our wins. That time you put together a winning strategy wasn’t just blind luck,
it was because you did your research and crafted a well thought through
response. Writing not just your wins, but how you got there, down in a journal
is helpful not only for a self-induced pep talk but will come in handy in the
future. You can use these success stories for your resume, at your next job
interview or as a reminder that you can take on whatever challenge that comes
next.
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