Do you struggle with imposter syndrome? Do you have a voice that creeps in to remind you that you don’t deserve a compliment or your success despite your training, experience, and education? Or perhaps it’s a constant background worry that you could be found out for not being as good as people think you are. These are common signs of imposter syndrome.
This fear of deficiency—of being found out, failing, or falling short—is a key characteristic of an imposter mindset. It involves a fear of not being good enough, which can be emotionally uncomfortable and challenging to conceal from others. Consequently, this mindset can hinder your confidence and overall well-being. Therefore, it’s crucial to recognize these signs and address them appropriately.
10 signs of impostor syndrome:
1. Self-doubt: You constantly question your abilities and feel that you’re not as competent as others perceive you to be.
2. Attributing success to luck: You believe that your achievements are due to luck or external factors, rather than acknowledging your own skills and efforts.
3. Fear of failure: Because of your fear of making mistakes or failing, you hesitate to take on new challenges.
4. Downplaying achievements: You often minimize your accomplishments instead of recognizing your own contribution. You may attribute success to external factors like teamwork or easy tasks.
5. Setting extremely high standards: You set unrealistic expectations for yourself. As a result, you feel like you constantly need to meet exceptionally high standards to prove your worth.
6. Overworking: To compensate for perceived inadequacy, you work excessively long hours. You may also put in unnecessary effort to prove your competence.
7. Difficulty accepting praise: You feel uncomfortable with or dismiss compliments and positive feedback.
8. Comparing yourself to others: You frequently compare your achievements and abilities to those of your peers, often feeling inferior as a result.
9. Fearing evaluation: You worry that others might discover your supposed lack of competence, leading to anxiety during performance evaluations.
10. Difficulty internalizing success: Instead of believing that your success stems from your own skills, efforts, and qualifications, you struggle to internalize it.
How to Change Your Mindset
Step 1
Recognize that the negative thoughts are just a story feeding you incorrect thoughts. This is a part of your mind that you’ve been unconsciously focused on, but it’s not all of who you are.
Step 2
Raise your awareness and start to notice when these thoughts show up. As a result, even this small step shifts you from being immediately impacted to observing the thoughts and starting to work with them.
Furthermore, by addressing these signs of imposter syndrome and taking steps to change your mindset, you can begin to overcome the feelings of inadequacy and recognize your true worth.
If you would like more help to overcome imposter syndrome, schedule a free 30-minute one-on-one consultation today
Book a Free ConsultationReady to transition from a high achiever to a high performer? Explore our high-performance mindset programs today by clicking here
To learn more about overcoming Imposter Syndrome, watch this video.
Liane Wansbrough | High-Performance Coach
