The imposter syndrome is that sense that you’re not good enough and that at any moment you’ll be “found out.” It’s what makes you worry a rejection letter will come in the mail even after you got into college, or wonder whether you should even bother applying for an award when there are so many other worthy candidates. You can’t eliminate impostor syndrome. You can’t work hard to silence the impostor’s voice because it’s a symptom of hard work, success, and achievement. You can’t stay quiet about your successes for fear you’ll be discovered as a fraud. You can’t quite believe you deserve any of this good fortune anyway, so you don’t tell anyone what you do, or what they would find if they looked and found real you. It’s hard to escape the feeling that you’re just faking it, even when everyone around you thinks you’re great.
The impostor syndrome is tricky because it’s easy to dismiss the feelings of others. Even when that other person’s work is right in front of you, or when they’re standing right next to you we can easily see past the impact others have had on their own lives. For most people, imposter syndrome is a mental state that surfaces from time to time, often amid a sense of uncertainty. But for some women particularly those in male-dominated fields it can be an overarching concern that permeates their professional lives.
On some level, you suspect that they don’t know how much work it takes to be good at your job, or how much of it could disappear if they found out who you are. Impostor syndrome is isolating for a lot of people; it makes you feel like a phony and a fraud. This insidious mental block is one reason female academics and professionals remain a minority in almost every field. It prevents many women from reaching their potential. Once women do breakthrough, they are likely to realize that the people around them were feeling the same all along.
However, there are some ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome:
• The very least a successful professional woman can do is to refuse to tolerate imposter syndrome. If you don’t feel you belong, stand up and say “I’m here–and I am staying.
• Perform a skills inventory to list your areas of expertise. Have someone else critique the list and suggest areas you might have overlooked or downplayed.
• Visualizing success is a powerful tool for overcoming fear and doubt. Replace self-doubt with a self-image of success. Imagine yourself performing well and handling the situation as it unfolds, then you will be more likely to do so.
Performing such activities daily can help in overcoming every negative thought and improve your livelihood.