The majority of high achievers have Imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is where you feel that you are a fraud; sooner or later, the people around you will find you out. Typically, events like a new job promotion, starting a business,s or even attending a conference in an area you are learning about can amplify it. Let’s go over the definition:
Imposter Syndrome – The feeling you don’t belong or don’t deserve your achievements despite the evidence. You will sooner or later be “found out.” Once found out, you will be lowered a peg or two.
Why do High achievers feel imposter syndrome – The reason high achievers think imposter syndrome is due to the Dunning–Kruger effect. The Dunning-Kruger effect means the lower your ability in a particular task or skill, the more you overestimate your skills. In non-nice terms, the dumber you are in the area, the more confident you will be there.
How to deal with it
- Recognize the feeling – You need to recognize it within yourself. Whenever you feel like you are a fraud in a specific area, ask yourself, “Am I really in over my head, or is this my imposter syndrome coming out.” Meditations can help you recognize your thought patterns.
- Cut yourself some slack – A majority of high achievers like to be hard on ourselves. When looking back on their life, the majority of people wish they wouldn’t have been as hard on themselves. You aren’t perfect, and no one is. We will all make mistakes. I have been working hard in this area. I would tend to think I wasn’t hard on myself because I would go out to drink and eat. It may be the reverse; you go out to eat and drink because you are hard on yourself.
- Be a learner – When you view yourself as learning, you may not be afraid of mistakes. This can take the pressure off; you know you can keep progressing and growing. It isn’t a fixed point in time. When you say “I don’t know,” you can short circuit the feeling’s control over you.
- Recognize others are feeling it too – This isn’t just a trait deemed by you; most others will be feeling it as well. Talk about it with close friends or family. You will be surprised by how many feel similar feelings as you. Everyone is just learning, and if you have the proper background, you may know just as much, if not more, then people around you.
Many of these steps are easier said than done, but with the proper tools, we can overcome our imposter syndrome. It may never go away, but we can help loosen its control of us.
Resources: https://mobile.twitter.com/dremilyanhalt/status/1287077516578963456
https://forge.medium.com/3-steps-to-beating-imposter-syndrome-78e8e7e3f4c3