Impostor Syndrome
“...is a feeling of massive self-doubt regarding your performance. Maybe you feel like an impostor because you think you don’t deserve the job.”
The term "Impostor Syndrome" is often used in a professional context, but it also plays a significant role when it comes to happiness and fulfillment. If we feel like we don’t deserve success or happiness, we end up holding ourselves back throughout our lives.
Let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon and, most importantly, what can be done about it:
How do you know if you’re experiencing Impostor Syndrome? Well, do any of these inner dialogues sound familiar to you?
“Everyone knows so much more than I do.”
“Everyone thinks I know more than I do.”
“They’ll realize I’m not good enough for the job!”
“I don’t have what it takes to be successful.”
“I can’t go for the promotion; I won’t get it anyway.”
“I’m afraid to voice my opinion in case people realize I actually don’t know anything about the topic.”
“I don’t deserve my successes; it was all just luck.”
If you saw yourself in any of these statements, let me reassure you right now: you’re not alone. Did you know that 70-90% of people experience this syndrome at some point in their lives? Incredible, isn’t it?
When do we particularly feel Impostor Syndrome?
When we want to make a career change
When we start at a new company or find ourselves in a new situation in general
When we get promoted
What we tend to avoid as a result:
Sharing our opinions
Asking for a raise
Speaking up in meetings
You’ve probably already realized why it’s so important to become aware of this syndrome and, most importantly, to recognize the areas of your life where it’s holding you back. Here, I’ll introduce you to the 5 types of Impostor Syndrome (according to Dr. Valerie Young) so you can get a clearer picture of it (because self-awareness is, after all, the first step toward improvement):
Perfectionist
Born Genius
Superhero
Lone Ranger
Expert
Perfectionist = Feels like a failure when things don’t go according to plan.
Mindset: Mistakes are unforgivable, everything must be perfect
Problem: Overplanning, overpreparing, and overthinking
Born Genius = Feels like a failure when things become difficult
Mindset: This should be easy; if it’s hard, it means I’m a failure
Problem: Avoiding new things, sticking to what you’re good at (comfort zone)
Superhero = Works on multiple projects at once
Mindset: I should be able to do everything at once, and it should all go smoothly and stress-free
Problem: Takes on all responsibilities, wants to excel in everything
Lone Ranger = Doesn’t accept help from others
Mindset: I should be able to do this all on my own; if I ask for help, it’s not my success
Problem: Prefers to be alone, doesn’t ask for help
Expert = Constantly participates in courses and further education
Mindset: “I should already know this,” “I just need this one last certificate,” “Please don’t call me an expert!”
Problem: Feels the need to know EVERYTHING, consumes a lot of knowledge
Did you particularly identify with one of these types? Fortunately, Dr. Young also offers a solution for this issue! Here are the 3 STEPS to overcoming Impostor Syndrome:
The ABC Model by Dr. Valerie Young
A) Acknowledge (Acknowledge)
Reflect on your inner dialogue. What exactly is it saying? Is it really true? If you like, you can even give this dialogue a name and have a serious conversation with it. In the next step, write down all the things you have already achieved. Prove your inner dialogue wrong!
B) Believe (Believe)
Write down positive affirmations: “I already know enough to do this job.” “I am an asset to my company.” “It’s okay to ask for help.”
C) Courageous Action (Courageous Action)
Take the first step in the right direction. What do you need for that? Ask for help, or closely examine where you’ve held yourself back in the past and start right there!
I hope this blog post has helped you, and that you’ll apply the ABC Model 🙂
If you’d like support, feel free to contact me anytime, and we can work together to eliminate Impostor Syndrome 💪🤓
With love,
Claudia