Imposter Syndrome
There are days where I feel like I am an imposter.
Those days where I feel that I am clearly not good enough for this role and everyone will figure it out sooner or later. It is especially prominent in those days where I am anxious and these train of thoughts made it even worse, and worse.
The feeling of being an imposter comes usually when there is a trigger for it. The feeling can come when you are faced with a challenge beyond your current capabilities, or when you just started a new role and need to learn a lot of new stuff, or when you are assigned to a new responsibility beyond your usual comfort zone.
I think you can clearly see the pattern now, the feeling of being an imposter comes in times when you are being challenged to expand beyond your current capacity. Nothing beyond your comfort zone is comfortable. Growth is supposed to be hard, challenging & uncomfortable because you are pushing your boundaries.
But we as human being can’t operate properly in constant pressure & anxiety, it is not healthy and definitely not recommended by your psychiatrist. That’s why you should balance this feeling and have methods to cope with it. This can come in any kind of form. Each person has their own way to build their own coping mechanism.
For me, I like to do self-reflection. I write a letter to myself to reflect on what had happened every year. I reflect on what I’ve achieved last year, what I’ve done well, what I’ve learned and what experience has taught me. This gives me a sense of where I am now and where do I want to go next. In a way, it grounds me and clears my mind from those anxious thoughts.
Another method that I do is to create a Good Job box in my email folders. Where I collect the compliments that I receive from my co-workers or stakeholders. Basically, a collection of emails saying that I did a good job & the successes 😄. Normally I never have the need to check this mailbox but when the time comes, especially when I’m feeling down, this mailbox acts like pats on my back, reminding me of what I’ve done well in the past and letting me know that current failures do not define who am I as a person.
If you ever feel like you’re an imposter, know that you’re not alone. Everyone at some point will feel the same way. Learn how to cope with it and take actions on what you can do to grow in your field.
Remember this equation.
If Imposter Syndrome exists = then Growth Opportunities exists