Friday 22 February 2019

3 free ways I’m challenging my imposter syndrome this year



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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