You know the feeling. That little voice in your head that tells you that you鈥檙e not enough, that you don鈥檛 deserve your success, that you鈥檙e an imposter鈥攁nd it鈥檚 only a matter of time until everyone figures it out.
Sound familiar? Most of us will suffer a crisis of confidence at one time or another, but periods of self-doubt take many forms and have many causes. One of them is 鈥渋mposter syndrome.鈥
What is imposter syndrome? It鈥檚 that nagging feeling that our successes are unearned and despite our achievements, we鈥檙e not actually the 鈥渞eal deal.鈥 It鈥檚 not a good feeling, and it can get in the way of your ability to enjoy your victories, and even keep you from pursuing new one.
Ironically, imposter syndrome is often of an ability or accomplishment such as getting a promotion or an award, and it鈥檚 particularly common among high achievers. It鈥檚 an intruder, coming to steal your moment鈥攄on鈥檛 let it!
We have some tips on how to overcome imposter syndrome (in college, at work, in relationships, or anywhere) and embrace your confidence. But first, let鈥檚 look at a few interesting facts about imposter syndrome, including some high-profile syndrome-sufferers, and some actual imposters from history.
Celebrities with Imposter Syndrome
Maybe finding out some of your heroes and some of our national treasures have confessed to imposter syndrome will help you understand it鈥檚 the syndrome, not you, that鈥檚 the fraud. Below is just a short list of who thought they weren鈥檛 enough:
- Serena Williams
- David Bowie
- Maya Angelou
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Tom Hanks
- Lady Gaga
Do a little of your own research and you鈥檒l find the list goes on and on. Most of us will find at least one (if not all) of those listed above is anything but an imposter. So next time you feel like you鈥檝e succeeded in spite of yourself, remember that you鈥檙e in good company鈥攕ome of the most prolific and innovative individuals among us have felt the same and continued to do great things anyway.
Famous Frauds: Real-Life Imposters
In contrast, let鈥檚 think about what a true imposter is, because they do exist. The bona fide con men and con women, frauds and hucksters, notorious pretenders with stolen identities. (We think you鈥檒l find you identify more with the list above than this one.)
- : Also known as Anna Sorokin, Delvey posed as a wealthy heiress and socialite and conned hotels, banks, and friends out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her story inspired the Netflix series
- : This trickster successfully pretended to be a doctor, lawyer, and airline pilot before he was finally caught by the FBI. His autobiography was the inspiration for the Steven Spielberg film
- : This imposter claimed to be Anastasia, the daughter of the assassinated Tzar Nicholas, after the Russian Revolution. DNA testing proved otherwise after her death.
- : A deft impersonator, Chadwick adopted many false identities in her lifetime, including claiming to be Andrew Carnegie鈥檚 daughter, to swindle banks for money.
There are many more throughout history. As you can see, there鈥檚 a big difference between dishonesty and self-doubt.
4 Tips to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
Now that you know more about the history of imposter syndrome, and have a few names to attach to the concept, let鈥檚 talk a little about how you can conquer your own self-doubt and reclaim the confidence you鈥檝e so rightly earned. We鈥檝e compiled four tactics to get you there:
1. Talk About Yourself鈥 to Yourself
Talking to yourself and referring to yourself in the third person aren鈥檛 typically conversation techniques to aspire to, but it turns out both can help you talk down some unwanted imposter syndrome.
You鈥檝e probably seen a character in a movie or TV show look in the mirror and say something along the lines of: 鈥淚鈥檓 good enough, I鈥檓 smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!鈥 While this might play well for laughs, it turns out it actually works. Research shows that to yourself, and in the third person (instead of 鈥淚鈥檓 good enough,鈥 try 鈥淎my is good enough鈥) is an effective way to regulate your own thoughts about yourself.
Tell yourself what you need to hear! And while you鈥檙e at it, let yourself know your hair looks great today, too.
2. List Your Good Qualities (or Qualifications)
Much like speaking aloud to yourself, you deserve or have earned your success is a proven model for reframing your self-assessment.
Take the example of a job offer. You want the job, and they want you, and suddenly you鈥檙e filled with fear that you鈥檙e not up to it. Put all those nagging feelings about being underqualified to the side for a moment and write down 10 reasons you are qualified (maybe even overqualified) for the position. Feel free to stray from the greatest hits of your resume here, though they鈥檒l probably make an appearance. 鈥淚鈥檓 always thinking two steps ahead鈥 can go right alongside 鈥淭hree years鈥 experience.鈥
You can also make other kinds of lists as an exercise in self-confidence. Keep a running list of your achievements, large and small. Keep a journal and write down one thing you鈥檝e accomplished that day. Go back and read it often.
3. See Yourself Through Someone Else鈥檚 Eyes
Instead of doubting yourself from the inside, appreciate yourself from someone else鈥檚 point of view. Think about it: If you have imposter syndrome, that means you think you鈥檝e fooled everyone else into thinking something you鈥檙e not.
Consider it. Do you think the people around you are so easily hoodwinked? That recruiter, who has interviewed hundreds, if not thousands, of people鈥攄o you think they don鈥檛 have a keen eye for talent? Your mentor who served as your reference鈥攄o you think they鈥檙e a terrible judge of character? What about your professor who gave you that A on your latest essay鈥攄o you think they鈥檙e also a fraud?
Think about the people whom you respect, who respect you in return鈥 and respect their opinion of you. If they think you鈥檙e worthy, you probably are.
4. Turn Your Self-Doubt Into Self-Drive
Want truly get a handle on imposter syndrome? Turn it on its head and make it your inner motivational speaker. Instead of hearing, 鈥淚鈥檓 not good enough,鈥 hear 鈥淚 can do even better.鈥 Turn self-doubt into self-improvement.
Worried you鈥檙e not qualified for the job? Become overqualified by seeking out the latest research or developments in your line of work. Concerned that you aren鈥檛 as smart as people think you are? Get even smarter by committing to read a book each month. Feel like you didn鈥檛 deserve that grade on your exam? Put that knowledge to work in the real world and prove you know your stuff.
Conquer Your Inner Imposter and Go Forth and Prosper!
Instead of letting the syndrome hold you back, use it to push you forward. Outwit it, beat it at its own game, and then watch yourself achieve even more.
In the meantime, congratulations on all you鈥檝e achieved! Your successes are hard-earned and your talents will take you far.
You鈥檙e good enough. You鈥檙e smart enough. And gosh darn it, people like you.
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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