Imposter syndrome Do you ever feel like you do not actually deserve your success?

Have you ever sat in a meeting, received a compliment on your workor been given a new responsibility and immediately thought to yourself do i actually  deserve this? if that feeling sounds familier you are not alone. What you are experiencing has a name and it is called imposter syndrome. And it is far more common in the workplace than most people are willing to admir.

Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling that despite your archivements, qualifications and experience you are somehow not as competent as other perceive you to be. It is that quite inner voice that tells you your success was a fluke, that you simply got lucky or that it is only a matter of time before someone figures out that you do not actually belong in the room. It affects people at every level of their career from fresh graduates to seasoned executives and it does not discriminate based on based on how talented or accomplished a person truly is.

What makes imposter syndrome particularly challenging is that it often intensifies as people achieve more. The higher you climb the louder that inner critic can become. Instead of feeling proud of growth and progress many people feel increasingly anxious about being exposed as a fraud despite having every right to be exactly where they are.

The first and most important step in overcoming imposter syndrome is simply recognising it for what it is a feeling, not a fact. Your archievements are real. The hard work that got you here is real. The value you bring to your team and your organisation is real.

You earned your place. And it is time to start believing that.

Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome and how did you deal with it? Share your experience below!

+