Facing Your Inner Imposter
Have you ever found yourself questioning whether you’re really deserving of your position at work? Or wondering when everyone will realize that you actually have no idea what you’re doing – even when your career is going great and your manager, colleagues, or clients are more than happy with your performance? Yeah, me too. I call this my “inner imposter,” and as I discussed in a post on Instagram this week, it’s something that’s been a blessing and a curse for me.
Broadly speaking, “imposter syndrome” is the experience of doubting our abilities and believing we are not as competent as others perceive us to be. The concept was originally coined by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978, and many successful, high-achieving people – from Cheryl Sandberg to Michelle Obama – have admitted to experiencing the phenomenon at some point.
There’s some debate about whether we should even acknowledge imposter syndrome at all. In a 2021 piece for Harvard Business Review, Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey argue that the term “directs blame towards women in the workplace, framing imposter syndrome as something they need to fix within themselves, instead of highlighting the very real impact of systemic sexism, racism, classism, xenophobia, and other biases that directly contribute to individuals experiencing these feelings of inadequacy.” They suggest the focus should be on fixing the environments that we work in, instead of the symptoms of the “disease.”
The Benefits of Imposter Syndrome
Research also shows us that imposter syndrome can actually be beneficial and make us better at our jobs. Although confidence is often seen as synonymous with competence and leadership, this isn’t always the case. In fact, some insecurity can motivate us to put more effort in at work and push us to fill any gaps in our knowledge and skills. I’ve certainly experienced this.
Those things being said, imposter syndrome is a very real experience for a lot of people, and it’s never a great feeling. While anxieties and doubts about our jobs are normal and can even be healthy, persistent feelings of unworthiness when it comes to our achievements can hugely shake our confidence and put unnecessary extra pressure on us. So what can we do if we’re in a situation where we want to overcome it?
Strategies for Conquering Imposter Syndrome
Embrace Humility
People connect with and relate to those who can be open about their vulnerabilities. Being humble is a good way to build strong relationships with others, and if you’re a leader, it can help you create an environment of psychological safety and develop an authentic, unique leadership style.
Reframe Fear as Fuel
Using any anxieties about underperforming as a way to ensure you’re as prepared as possible can help you get the job done as effectively as possible and perform better than you would have if you just assumed you’d succeed.
Build Resilience
Finding ways to deal with situations outside of your comfort zone will allow you to develop the tools you need to build resilience. It teaches you how to overcome existing obstacles while also proving to yourself what you’re capable of. This can help you face challenges with confidence in the future and gives you a success story to look back on when you’re doubting yourself.
Lean on Positive Feedback
Start jotting down any and all recognition or positive feedback you receive from others day-to-day. When you’re feeling low about yourself or begin to doubt your capabilities, read through some of the comments to boost your confidence.
Share Your Struggles
You don’t have to discuss it with everyone if you don’t want to, but tell someone how you’re feeling. You may receive some positive encouragement or even just a listening ear. Sharing your thoughts with others can often help put things in perspective and stop negative ideas from swirling around in your head.
Treat New Endeavors as Experiments
Test an approach, gather feedback, and make tweaks where needed to improve the process. By looking at how you do new things in this way, you’re reframing the situation so that you’re not necessarily expecting to get everything right straight away – instead, acknowledging you’re on a path of learning. If things don’t go to plan, you’ll learn something and use that to change your actions going forward.
Embrace a Growth Mindset
At the end of the day, feeling like an imposter doesn’t make you one. No one succeeds at every new endeavor without making any mistakes – it’s just not possible. Sometimes, things not going to plan is part of the learning and growing process. You only fail if you fail to learn from the situation.
Understand, though, that the feeling will pass, and that being uncomfortable doesn’t stop you from taking action. With a growth mindset and the right strategies, you can conquer even the most daunting home improvement challenges. After all, Reading General Contractor is here to help you every step of the way.
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to Conquer Home Improvement Challenges with Confidence. The journey may not be easy, but with the right mindset and support, you can achieve amazing things.
