Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever felt like you were faking it at work? You know, the idea that you’re not smart enough or you don’t know enough to do your job well?

These thoughts ran through my head fairly regularly when I first started my career. It turns out I’m not alone. Imposter syndrome is a common experience, regardless of your profession or gender. Even high achievers experience imposter syndrome, but some choose not to talk about it, at least according to the research.

Someone would ask for feedback, and even though I had something to offer, I could barely string two words together. And the idea of making a presentation in front of an audience was paralyzing. My lack of confidence affected how I behaved at work, and I’m sure even my employer began to doubt my competence. It’s not hard to understand why. I wasn’t demonstrating the skills and knowledge I actually had because I was too busy doubting whether I had them in the first place.

Imposter syndrome is often linked to anxiety and depression, and when we keep those feelings to ourselves, it can be easy to believe we’re the only ones experiencing them.

Over time, experience helped. I learned that I didn’t have to know everything to have something valuable to contribute. I became more comfortable speaking up, making mistakes and trusting what I knew. The imposter feelings didn’t disappear overnight, but gradually they stopped having so much power over how I showed up.

Today, I am comfortable anywhere and in almost any situation, but I haven’t forgotten what imposter syndrome feels like.

If you’ve ever felt like you were faking it, doubted whether you belonged in the room, or worried that eventually someone would figure out that you weren’t as capable as they thought you were, know that you are not alone.

Normal, actually.