There is an Impostor among us !!
Have you ever attended a meeting and felt utterly out of place? I mean have you ever felt like the “duck” with all the great people around you .It can even be simply sitting in a lecture room ,working with a team ,you name it.
I have felt like one. I feel like a “duck” almost all the time .For so many years ,I always wondered what is this feeling of unworthiness or doubt of oneself. I then stubbled upon the term ,”Imposter Syndrome “.
So what is Imposter Syndrome? Imposter Syndrome is defined as an experience of feeling like a fraud ,a phony and undeserving of success. It makes you feel like at any moment ,they are going to realize you’re a fraud and boom !You’re out and exposed .Just like in Among us ,the game .
Imposter Syndrome is a pattern of thinking that literally feels one with self doubt and negative emotions .It causes us to feel like in this room of 5 or even 100 people ,I am a fraud and I don’t deserve this .
Spoiler Alert: Most of the other people feel the same way too.
Can you imagine even CEOs feel the same too ?For example Mike Cannon Brooks ,the CEO And Co-founder of Atlassian.
I watched his Ted talk on “How you can use Imposter Syndrome to your benefit “.
One key lesson I learnt from this Ted talk is ,When faced with this situation, DON’T FREEZE, Rather learn as much as you can .Harness this feeling and use it as a driving force.
Be humble. Not knowing something doesn’t make you a fraud ,It makes you a student-Marie Forleo
I would like to conclude with a few tips on how to overcome this feeling .
- Separate feelings from facts :- Be ready for those feelings, observe them, be mindful of them and be ready with a response
- Take note of your accomplishments
- Stop comparing :-Focus on measuring your own achievements instead of holding them up against others’.
- Talk to others and / a therapist
References
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