Signs of Imposter Syndrome And How It Holds You Back From Success
Imposter Syndrome might sound kind of thrilling, but don’t be fooled - it is not your friend.
Molly had been working as a midwife for 26 years. She loved her work and was happy enough to keep doing it, but she had another goal in mind. She wanted to start her own business to provide more support for women after they’d given birth! In fact, she’d been thinking about this exciting goal for a few years by the time she first contacted me.
But, there was a big problem - Molly was experiencing Imposter Syndrome. And it was largely responsible for holding her back from making her goal a reality.
Despite 26 years of knowledge and experience, Molly was concerned that there were other childbirth educators with more experience and degrees than her. She explained that she didn’t believe in herself enough to have her own business doing something she loved - she already felt like she didn’t deserve success (and she hadn’t even started yet!).
And honestly, as a woman with a small business myself, my heart broke for Molly. Yes, having a small business can be hard work and it can create its own unique set of stressors and challenges. But, it can also be incredibly rewarding, fun, and exciting!
I felt disappointed for Molly and the potential success she was missing out on, but I also felt a lot of compassion… Because Imposter Syndrome has held me back, too. I quit working towards a career as a psychologist and almost ruined a book deal because Imposter Syndrome snuck its way into my life.
In this article, you’ll discover what Imposter Syndrome is and some of the signs you might be experiencing it, too!
WHAT IS IMPOSTER SYNDROME?
I promise not to bore you with long-winded explanations or confusing psychology words you’ll have to look up on the Googles! But, let’s take a quick look at Imposter Syndrome so you can understand it a little better.
In the 1970s, psychologists Suzanne Imes and Pauline Clance first defined Imposter Syndrome as an experience “among high achievers who are unable to internalize and accept their success.”
According to the American Psychological Association, people who experience Imposter Syndrome “often attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than ability, and fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud.”
Basically, Imposter Syndrome occurs when you put in the work to achieve something, and you do achieve it (yay!), but then you feel like you’re not good enough. You worry other people will believe you’re a fraud and that you don’t deserve your success. You think that luck played a big role in your achievements and give it more credit than it deserves.
When you experience Imposter Syndrome, you might have an underlying suspicion that you’re not as talented, skilled, smart, or knowledgeable as other people think you are (and you dread that they’ll find out!). In some cases, this can cause stress, anxiety, shame, guilt, fear, or unnecessary self-criticism.
In a nutshell, Imposter Syndrome occurs when you doubt your knowledge, skills, and abilities and you feel like a fraud - even when there’s clear evidence to suggest that you’re not.
Let’s rewind back to Molly’s experience of Imposter Syndrome. She felt like a fraud even though she had 26 years of experience and all the knowledge and skills she’d gained over that time.
According to some research, approximately 70% of people will experience Imposter Syndrome at some stage in their careers. However, I’ve noticed that it can also pop up in many other areas of people’s lives.
You might feel like an imposter when you enter into a new relationship. Perhaps, you’re naturally a kind-hearted, thoughtful, and compassionate person and your partner notices those qualities. However, you feel like you’re not as kind and thoughtful as they believe and you start to worry about getting “found out.”
A friend of mine is a talented musician and he plays in a band, but he also feels like an imposter. He spends hours and hours practicing - not because he enjoys it, but because he feels like he has to. Whenever he makes a mistake, he criticises himself and worries that it’s confirmation he’s not good enough.
When I played netball for a year, I was terrified that I’d be asked to play an important role (like goal-shooter) and that everyone would see I was a fraud… Even though I’d spent hours practicing goal-shooting.
Imposter Syndrome can also be a common experience for new parents. They might feel like they’re not doing as well as other people might assume! And even though they may have plenty of knowledge and skills for looking after their baby, they might compare themselves to other parents and feel like they’re not good enough.
Got an inkling you might be experiencing Imposter Syndrome?Let’s take a look at some common signs of Imposter Syndrome so you can see if they resonate with you.
SIGNS OF IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Sign 1: Feeling like an imposter, even when there’s evidence to suggest you’re not!
A key sign of Imposter Syndrome is feeling like an imposter…
…Even when there’s evidence that indicates you’re relatively skilled or successful.
You might worry that other people will find out you’re a fraud and expose you as being not good enough and that everyone will judge you. For example, in her Harvard Commencement Speech in 2015, actress Natalie Portman said, “Today I feel much like I did when I came to Harvard Yard as a freshman in 1999. I felt like there had been some mistake, that I wasn’t smart enough to be in this company, and that every time I opened my mouth I would have to prove that I wasn’t just a dumb actress.”
Feeling like a fraud can manifest in many ways, from worrying that other people will “catch you out,” feeling like you have to prove yourself, and doubting your skills and abilities. We’ll dive into more of these signs of Imposter Syndrome in a moment, but for now, it’s important to understand that feeling like a fraud or an imposter, despite evidence that you’re not, is a key sign of Imposter Syndrome.
Sign 2: Feeling exhausted and burnt out
As a result of Imposter Syndrome, you might feel like you have to work harder just to measure up to your own (or other people’s) high expectations, potentially leading to exhaustion or burnout. For example, do you
Often prioritise work over your personal needs?
Work longer hours than other people in the same role as you?
Normally volunteer to work late or on weekends?
Give most of your energy to your role and have little energy left over for fun or self-care?
If you answered yes to most of those questions, you might be experiencing Imposter Syndrome that’s leading to overworking, and potentially, burnout.
Sign 3: Sabotaging your success
When you start feeling a little too close to achieving something or experiencing success, do you often find a way to sabotage yourself? If you answered yes, I’m about to explain why that might be. Success can be too uncomfortable because you don’t feel like you deserve it, so you act in ways that sabotage your success in order to remain safe and comfortable. Instead of progressing to the next level and potentially feeling even more like a fraud, you’d prefer to stay at your current level.
So, what does sabotaging success look like?
Well, you might give up a hobby before you get “too good.”
You might avoid asking for a promotion or even turn down a promotion.
You might deliberately procrastinate over an important task so it doesn’t turn out as good as it could have.
You might step back and let someone else take credit for your hard work.
There are ways different ways you can sabotage your own success to avoid achieving new things and feeling more like an imposter.
Sign 4: Attributing your success mostly to external things
When you’re experiencing Imposter Syndrome and you achieve something, you might say, “Oh, I had so much help. I didn’t really do that much.” Or, “I only achieved my success because of good luck.”
Now, it’s true that success can be the result of some good luck, and maybe you did have some help from other people along the way. However, you might attribute your success almost exclusively to those external factors, rather than recognising your own efforts, skills, or knowledge.
For example, when I was offered a book deal and people congratulated me, I said, “You know, it was just lucky that a publisher was listening to my podcast and liked it enough to reach out to me.”
And that’s what I honestly believed. I didn’t consider the fact that I’d worked hard on creating a weekly podcast for several years, or that I researched how to create a good book proposal and spent many hours putting it together, or that I’d been writing articles for years and honing my writing skills.
Instead, I described my success as being largely the result of luck.
So if you find yourself discrediting your achievements or attributing your success almost exclusively to external things, that could be Imposter Syndrome at work.
Sign 5: Mistakes and failure cause distress
When you’re already worried that you’re a fraud, any mistakes or failures might seem like confirmation that you are, indeed, a fraud. So rather than making mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward, you’re overly critical with yourself. You might try to keep your mistakes secret. You’ll probably feel stressed, frustrated, or ashamed. And, you might spend a whole lot of energy trying to make up for your mistakes unnecessarily.
Note: This isn’t an exhaustive list of signs of Imposter Syndrome. There are other ways that Imposter Syndrome can interfere with your life. And you won’t necessarily experience all of the signs I’ve mentioned, either!
The main key sign of Imposter Syndrome is that you feel like an imposter or a fraud, even when there’s evidence that says otherwise.
HOW IMPOSTER SYNDROME HOLDS YOU BACK FROM SUCCESS
1: Imposter Syndrome undermines your confidence
When Imposter Syndrome occurs, it can negatively impact your confidence. You might worry that you’re not good enough, compare yourself to others, and doubt your skills and strengths. The longer Imposter Syndrome continues, the more it can erode away your confidence and hold you back from achieving success.
2: Imposter Syndrome stops you from asking for help when you need it
One of the features of Imposter Syndrome is worrying that other people will “find out” you’re a fraud. Instead of risking that, you might avoid asking for help and push yourself to hide mistakes or figure everything out on your own. This can be a very isolating experience and it can also hold you back from achieving greater success.
Sometimes, it’s important to ask for help and to work with others and if you can’t do those things, you might be more likely to quit or take much longer to get things done.
3: Imposter Syndrome interferes with self-reassurance
Self-reassurance is the ability to be soothing, encouraging, and supportive to yourself, especially when you’re facing setbacks. When you can’t reassure yourself effectively, you might be more affected by negative thoughts about the future and become less likely to take action towards your goals. You might be more likely to quit when setbacks occur or beat yourself up unnecessarily.
For example, imagine your goal is to leave your current job so you can work in a field you feel more passionate about. But, when you find out that your first application for a new job is rejected, it triggers negative thoughts about yourself and your future. What if you’re not good enough? What if you never get the right opportunity? What if you aren’t as competent in your new job as you thought you’d be?
And some of those concerns might be valid and worth exploring and understanding. However, if you can’t reassure yourself, you probably won’t have any balance between those negative thoughts and positive thoughts. And so, you might be persuaded to give up in the face of the setback and corresponding negative thoughts.
One of the problems with Imposter Syndrome is it tends to encourage those negative thoughts and interfere with self-reassurance so you can’t move on from mistakes and setbacks.
4: Imposter Syndrome could increase your risk of stress, anxiety, and depression
In 2019, researchers analyzed 62 studies on Imposter Syndrome (with a total of 14,161 participants) and concluded that Imposter Syndrome often occurred alongside depression and anxiety. Imposter Syndrome was also associated with burnout, impaired job performance, and lower job satisfaction.
All of these challenging experiences can potentially hinder success, especially if they continue to develop over time.
SO, WHAT NEXT?
Imposter Syndrome can be a complex experience, but I don’t want it to stop you from enjoying your role as an employee, leader, parent, writer, musician, or sportsperson! And I definitely don’t want it to stop you from achieving the success you deserve.
To help you manage Imposter Syndrome, I’ve created a powerful online course called Derail Imposter Syndrome! Inside this course, you’ll discover effective strategies to help you build your confidence, reduce self-sabotage, and start taking empowered actions towards your success.
ONLINE COURSE
Derail Imposter Syndrome
Click here to learn more about my online course, Derail Imposter Syndrome.
