What do you do if you're struggling with imposter syndrome and need to boost your confidence?

I kept for many years a journal with my career accomplishments. It helped to remind me about my competences and capacity to deal with new challenges.

One of my mentors once suggested keeping an ongoing ‘win’ list on my desktop. It’s a practice that I found incredibly empowering. I recorded every victory on this list, no matter the size – from a compliment on one of my ideas to significant milestones like a stellar performance review or a promotion. As my list grew, it became a powerful tool against those nagging doubts of imposter syndrome. Reading through the list is usually all it takes to remind myself of the substantial value I’ve contributed and helps keep the doubt at bay.

In my experience as a career coach, many of my clients struggle with Imposter Syndrome. I think people would be surprised by how many successful and highly competent professionals struggle with this. Next time that inner critic tells you that you're not good enough, write down three things that you are good at / have accomplished. Provide proof and evidence that you are good. Infact keeping a journal where you record your successes and milestones you have reached on an ongoing basis to reflect on can really help. Also don't be afraid to ask colleagues or mentors for endorsements of your work. Sometimes external validation can really help turn the dial.

First, realize we all fight it and that you are not alone. Then, take a breath and respect your supervisor's experience and judgement enough to accept that if you were an imposter you most likely would not have been hired, let alone retained. Then, be brave enough to acknowledge it, speak it, and conquer it by objectively looking at your successes with an understanding that measuring success is in and of itself subjective.

To combat imposter syndrome and boost your confidence, actively seek feedback from trusted colleagues and mentors. They can offer insights into your strengths and highlight achievements you might overlook. Documenting and regularly reviewing this feedback can help recalibrate your self-perception and reinforce your value. This practice allows you to see a more accurate and often more positive view of your professional contributions, aiding in overcoming feelings of inadequacy.

Imposter syndrome is something most people will experience in their lifetime, but if you allow it to play on a loop in your head, you might start to believe it. Sometimes, one of the best things we can do in moments of doubt is reach out to someone. A coach will provide unbiased feedback and a fresh perspective, and having that can be incredibly validating (you know for sure it's not someone you love just telling you what you want to hear - it's honest and kind). Of course, if an opportunity to improve is identified because someone is seeing the situation with fresh eyes, you may be able to feel less like an imposter by shifting your mindset or setting a plan in place to improve. Most importantly, remember that no one is ever perfect.

Buscar apoyo entre colegas de confianza y amigas honestas (en mi caso) es esencial. Conversar con personas en quienes confías plenamente puede ofrecerte una perspectiva honesta y objetiva. Compartir experiencias y recibir retroalimentación constructiva de quienes te conocen bien puede ser especialmente beneficioso para superar el síndrome del impostor y fortalecer la confianza en uno mismo.

Seeking Feedback can be difficult if we already feel insecure. I have practiced the 3x3 System for Feedback for quite some time. 1. Have a mentor that will guide you. (I have a personal mentor) 2. Have a person that will be brutally honest with you (It doesn't have to be a friend) 3. Have a friend that will help you celebrate the win. (This person has to really know you) I do this personally and professionally (one is the same person).

Seek feedback from individuals who can relate to your journey and understand your goals. Embrace constructive feedback that stretches you and enables you to thrive as your authentic self. Experienced individuals can often offer you innovative strategies and support you in developing strategies that work for you.

In my experience, we never stop learning if we have a growth mindset and want to succeed. An imposter is one who does not have the knowledge or skill-set to do what we are actually doing and can learn to do.

Además de comprender el síndrome del impostor, es crucial reconocer y comunicar adecuadamente el valor que aportamos a la empresa. Esto implica conocer nuestros logros, habilidades y contribuciones de manera objetiva. Al tener una comprensión clara de nuestro impacto en la organización, podemos abogar de manera más efectiva por un aumento salarial justo y merecido. Esto no solo fortalece nuestra confianza en nuestras capacidades, sino que también nos empodera para avanzar en nuestra carrera profesional de manera satisfactoria.

Educating Yourself can come from learning more about what makes you feel insecure. Learning more about you in therapy or support groups. I think, above all, it comes from experience, trusting your intuition, and believing in yourself.

Self-care is one of the most neglected habits we have. Again, we think we are being selfish or that we don't care about others if we take care of ourselves first. But, it's like the oxygen-mask principle in an airplane--when we put our mask on first, we are in a better position to help others put their masks on.

Self-care has many different facets. In relation to imposter syndrome taking care of yourself would be to learn more about imposter syndrome itself. Imposter Syndrome was developed in childhood to keep you safe. As an adult to manage Imposter Syndrome there are exercises you can learn to move away from the Imposter Syndrome mind set and move toward the executive functioning in your mind. The executive mind helps you to reason and discern what is actually true. Once this exercises is practiced you become stronger and are able to switch off that Imposter Syndrome thinking much faster and easier. I work with people to teach them these skills and it has changed my life.

El autocuidado es esencial para mantener un equilibrio saludable entre el trabajo y la vida personal. En mi experiencia, integrar hábitos como dormir lo suficiente y tomarme momentos de desconexión durante el día ha sido fundamental para enfrentar el síndrome del impostor. Además, estoy incorporando el ejercicio regular a mi rutina diaria, ya que sé que ayuda a reducir el estrés y aumentar mi energía y enfoque en el trabajo. Estas prácticas de autocuidado no solo me permiten superar los momentos de duda y autocrítica, sino que también promueven un bienestar general que contribuye a mi éxito profesional y personal.

Self-care without action provides no benefits. Self-care must result in intentionally engaging in thoughts and actions that replenish our mind, body, and soul. What makes your heart smile? What energizes your inner child? What takes you to your dream space emotionally? Self-care must be prioritized. Otherwise, it easily slips off our radar. Setting reminders and blocking time on our calendars improves our chances of actually making time to care for ourselves.

Sometimes, we become so focused on completing the big goal that we lose track of all the smaller goals and tasks required to achieve success. Setting realistic goals and breaking them down into mini-goals enables you to celebrate the small steps along the way. It also provides a tangible method for tracking your progress, which builds self-confidence and self-efficacy.

I suffer from this too sometimes and it is often because I overestimate what I can do in a day and underestimate what I can do in a year. When starting to work on the areas in your life where you notice imposter syndrome - break down that experience to find a small objectives that moves you in the right direction. In having difficult conversations, perhaps you want to approach your boss about all your unpaid overtime but you are not able to call your cell phone company to ask for a preferred rate. Start small - with the cell phone company. Build your skill set, courage, and confidence in a low stakes conversation before you tackle the big ones.

Establecer metas claras y alcanzables es fundamental para combatir el síndrome del impostor y aumentar la confianza en uno mismo. Dividir tareas más grandes en pasos más peque?os y manejables permite un progreso constante y tangible. Al celebrar cada logro, por peque?o que sea, reforzamos nuestra creencia en nuestras propias habilidades y capacidades. Esta práctica no solo hace que las metas desafiantes sean más accesibles, sino que también proporciona evidencia continua de nuestro crecimiento y progreso profesional.

Make visualization a regular practice. Spend a few minutes each day running through your visualized scenario. The best times can be early in the morning before starting your day or at night before going to sleep.

Visualization is powerful. Have you achieved something similar in the past? If so, what skills did you use or wish you could have used? Is there someone you can relate to and respect who achieved the accomplishment you are striving for? Are there lessons you can borrow from their journey? What does success mean to you in this situation? What difference will it make? Visualize what this success will feel like.

It is important to recognize the imposter syndrome phenomenon. Deny it or fight against will not help much. Work on different fronts to strenghten your capacity: reflect about previous career accomplishments, remember nobody is 100% ready for a new professional challenge nor needs to be perfect.

My favorite way to navigate imposter syndrome is to give it a name using these steps. 1. Figure out what your loudest inner critic voice is - hyper achiever, perfectionist, people pleaser. I have a quiz I can send you if you are interested. 2. Write down all the nasty lies and limiting beliefs that voice tells you. 3. Give it an identity that isn’t your own based off the info you know about it. 4. Be aware. Notice when that voice starts speaking and talk back to it with actual proof to prove the lies it tells you. This gets easier over time and slowly you will be able to catch that inner critic voice before it even tries to speak.

Imposter syndrome not a label, yet some choose it to define them. Its a set of thoughts that appear in situations where we feel vulnerable. Its a face of our inner critic. Its a protection mechanism to protect from harm. Mine is called Beryl, I treat the thoughts as her voice of advice. Then think not now, not today, but thanks for the heads up!

1. Stop Comparing yourself with others as it is going to lead to an exhaustive feeling of inadequacy of yourself, START comparing yourself with yourself, your progress, and your growth over time. 2. Identify and Acknowledge that you have Imposter Syndrome, once identified, Consider seeking support from a mentor or your senior (whom you can trust) who can help you to come out of the syndrome. 3. One of the good techniques I use whenever I get into self-doubt mode is to challenge my negative thoughts and flip them with positive thoughts. I tell the same thing to my mentees and it has been of a great help which boost the confidence.

Change your perspective on your accomplishments. It's not just an exercise, it's smart to translate what you have accomplished into dollars and cents, performance percentage improvements, objective outcomes, not just activity levels. Answer, for yourself, using data, "Am I making a difference?" Have you measurably reduced expense, increased productivity, eliminated waste, expanded scope without significantly increasing cost . . .? I once created a presentation for our interns titled, "Nobody Cares How Busy You Are." For your own self-image, and the benefit of your leadership, stop thinking about how you compare to others. Who cares? Focus on how you have fundamentally changed the business. You may be a star!