You’re Not an Imposter – You Just Need Practice

In the last few years, a new body of work has been created.  It’s known as Imposter Syndrome. I’ve had my share of conversations with clients about this one – most of them with individuals who dare to re-imagine themselves later in life, who choose to become entrepreneurs in spite of what others tell them, or who venture into the unknown to master something completely new.

I am not convinced this is a thing at all, nor is it something anyone needs therapy for.

Imposter Syndrome simply describes that nagging feeling of being less competent than others think we are.  It’s more of a pattern than a mental health issue.

Some people will say things like “I just got lucky” or the timing was just right when they succeed at something.  They forget this success, big or small, is proof of their competence.

Others are perfectionists and believe they need to know or do everything just right and when small mistakes are made, they believe this somehow proves they are a fraud.  Unrealistic standards are the problem, not the person.

For some they feel like they “don’t belong” when they achieve something remarkable and find themselves in a room with what they consider highly successful people.  This is just head trash.  Everyone was in the room for the first time at some point.

There are also people who work with truly brilliant people each day and normal learning curves can feel like failure.  This isn’t about competence but rather context.

And then there’s a natural tendency to remember our mistakes more than our successes (negativity bias). 

Every expert was once a beginner. Mistakes are data, not proof of incompetence.  It’s not a weakness – it’s the price of growth.

Remember: You might be comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.  But you are definitely not an imposter.