Battling Imposter Syndrome
At one point or another, you’ve likely felt like an imposter. Doubting your skills or accomplishments and fearing that you’re just a fraud — is everyone seeing right through you?
No matter how far I progress, I still have days where I fear I’m not advancing as quickly as I should or that I’m just not talented enough.
It took me a long time to figure out how to manage what many folks call imposter syndrome.
Here are a few tips for snapping you out of that trance.
Look at Where You Have Come From
Take a moment to look back in time — what were you doing a year ago? 5 years ago? You'd be surprised with how much your skills can improve over a couple of years.
Depending on how much of a confidence boost you need, increase the amount of time you go back.
Here’s a cringy side-by-side comparison of my reel from 2016 (when I was fresh out of college) and my 2021 reel — in just four years, they’re night and day!
2016 Reel
2021 Reel
If that’s not enough, I’ll think about the videos I made in high school — which will never find their way onto the internet.
Set Goals
If you’re not where you want to be — set goals to get you there!
More specifically, make S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals. Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Risky, Time-Keyed, Exciting, and Relevant.
You can find many resources for goal setting online, but Michael Hyatt and James Clear are good starting points.
Most importantly, don’t just set and forget your goals. Keep track of your progress. Check-in with yourself frequently, or better yet, have an accountability buddy to keep you motivated to keep moving forward.
Remember the Positives
A lot of times, negative emotions hit harder than positive ones. That’s why you need more positive memories to lift you out of imposter syndrome.
One way to get yourself an on-demand dose of serotonin is to create a smile file - as explained in No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work.
Keep a smile file (or folder). Write down nice comments you receive. Save emails from colleagues thanking you for your hard work. Criticism will linger longer than praise, so being able to quickly remind yourself of what you do well will help you weather your inevitable gloomy moments.
Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy
Get comfortable making mistakes. No one gets everything right on the first try.
Part of feeling like less of an imposter is accepting that you won’t be perfect when you try something new. But you also have to realize that imperfection doesn’t mean you’re a failure or fraud.
A lot of lessons need to be learned the hard way. Taking chances may lead you to make mistakes, sure. But this act of doing and making mistakes is the fastest way to learn.
So next time you mess something up that’s new to you, don’t skulk about it. Acknowledge the mistake, and commit to improving.
It’s normal to feel like you’re a fraud sometimes. And a healthy bit of skepticism about your skills will keep you motivated to keep improving. Just remember that these feelings of not being good enough aren’t always factual.
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