Saying Goodbye to Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever doubted how you got to the position you’re in? Questioned if you were deserving of a new promotion? Felt like you couldn’t ask for help? Felt completely deflated when a project did not go 100% as planned or did not generate the exact results you intended?

You’re not alone. I have spent a lot of time coaching clients and leaders through fear, self-doubt, and self-sabotage. For so many there is a tendency to get in their own way and hold back because of a need for perfection or a worry of not being enough. 

Imposter Syndrome comes in many forms and is often otherwise identified in a person as a perfectionist, workaholic, or superwoman/man. It was first used as a term by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970s. Traditionally, it was said to affect women however research now shows that both men and women are learning to manage the phenomenon. 

Attributes and habits of a person with Imposter Syndrome range from general over-thinking to performance (and happiness) affecting anxiety. Here are just a few of the most common characteristics we link to IP:

• Consistent self-doubt

• Unrealistic expectations of one’s self

• Inability to celebrate one’s successes (even a 98/100 is not satisfactory)

• Inability to recognize one’s skills and qualifications

• Attributing your success to external factors

• Inability to ask for help or delegate

• Holding back because of one factor that does not meet expectations/requirements

Does this sound like you? Think about the opportunities you’ve turned down or the time you have spent doubting yourself instead of making progress and acknowledging your achievements. 

Let’s change that.

Here’s what I know: until we understand our beliefs, we can’t make real change in our actions. It’s hard work, and it is worth it. When you change what you think, you can change what you do. 

Book a call with Jen today to talk about your experience and get started with tackling imposter syndrome today.