Who here has ever felt impostor syndrome? It's the feeling that you don't deserve to be where you are, and even worse, being afraid of being found out.
Yep, my hand is definitely raised, but so are 70% of all people's. If you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, most likely you'll encounter these feelings.
The first step in overcoming impostor syndrome is to catch and name it. There are five types:
The perfectionist: Sets extremely high expectations. Even if she meets 99% of her goals, she still feels like a failure.
The expert: Needs to know every piece of information before she starts a project. She needs to know something 100% before speaking up or acting.
The natural genius: Believes that to be great, things should come easy, so because she has to work hard for something, she is an impostor.
The soloist: If she asks for help, she isn't good at what she does.
The superwoman: Pushes herself to work harder than the people around her to prove that she belongs.
I see a bit of myself in each of those descriptions. If you do, too, you aren't alone. We all feel this sometimes.
Hopefully naming it will help you start challenging these beliefs. When have you seen someone you admire ask for help or work hard? When did you succeed without knowing everything?
You deserve to be here. Own it.
