?? Dealing with My Imposter Syndrome

Hey friends,

I'm at the tail end of publishing my next book. In case you missed it, it is about self-employment and drawing lessons from my journey to show you how you can achieve yours.?

It's called 'No More Bosses: The Journey To Sustainable Self-Employment'

I just submitted the 5th edit to the manuscript. This should be the last or the last-second round to go.

Never knew book publishing could be so intense.

Still, this would proudly go into my bucket list.

Stay tuned for the release date once I hear from my publisher.

If you don’t start teaching them to be autonomous at 7 they will be living with you at 37. - Eric Barker

This week's edition

???Dealing with My Imposter Syndrome

?? Dr. Cecelia Herbert Unveils the Secrets of Employee Experience

???NotesGPT - AI-Powered Voice Note Taking

?? Dealing with My?Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever doubted your own abilities?

Perhaps that is just a Tuesday for you. Unsure of your capabilities to deal with the things that are right in front of you.

Or maybe a new project that was assigned to you. Something that you never done before.?

You are constantly thinking: "Oh my god. Where do I even begin? People are going to find out I'm a fraud."

Congratulations.

You are part of a club that includes a list of luminaries and celebrities.?

They include:

• Michelle Obama - Admitted that her imposter syndrome "never goes away" during a discussion about her memoir "Becoming".
• Tom Hanks - Expressed concerns about delivering emotional goods in his acting and the fear of being caught faking it.
• Tina Fey - Discussed her feelings of being a fraud and how she vacillates between egomania and feeling like an imposter.
• Padma Lakshmi - Spoke about feeling like an imposter during her first season of "Top Chef"
• Wolfgang Puck - Mentioned his fear of failure and imposter syndrome when opening new restaurants.
• Sheryl Sandberg - Has often admitted to feeling like an imposter, as detailed in her book "Lean In"
• Emma Watson - Publicly admitted to feeling like an imposter when receiving recognition for her acting
• David Bowie - Covered his feelings of inadequacy with constant work and had low self-esteem
• Serena Williams - Admitted to copying her older sister Venus and struggling to become her own person
• Howard Schultz - Expressed feelings of being undeserving and insecure as the CEO of Starbucks
• Albert Einstein - Felt like an involuntary swindler due to the exaggerated esteem for his work
• Maya Angelou - Felt like a fraud despite having written numerous books
• Barbara Corcoran - Felt like an absolute fraud even after selling her business for $66 million.
• Lady Gaga - Has spoken about feeling like an imposter despite her success.
• Awkwafina - Discussed feeling like an imposter and questioning why she was successful over others.

The list goes on.

This feeling came to me recently as I was selected as?one of ETHRWorld Southeast Asia HR Influencers List 2024.

I wonder how much longer it would take for them to realise that I have not spend a single official minute as a HR.

Granted I did perform that function when I was running my own business.?

But I also perform toilet cleaning duties too because we don't have money to outsource or hire someone else to do it.

Let's get to the definition of?Imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud."?

Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this syndrome do not believe they deserve their success, attributing it to luck, timing, or deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be.?

This syndrome can stem from and result in strained personal relationships and hinder individuals from achieving their full potential

How Imposter Syndrome Affects People

Imposter syndrome can significantly impact an individual's mental health and overall well-being. Some of the key effects include:

• Anxiety and Inadequacy: Individuals may experience persistent feelings of anxiety regarding their ability to succeed, leading to a sense of inadequacy and incompetence.
• Avoidance of Challenges: The fear of being exposed as a fraud may lead people to avoid challenges or opportunities for growth, limiting their personal and professional development.
• Struggle with Self-Worth: People with imposter syndrome often undermine the worth of their achievements, resulting in a persistent sense of incompetency.
• Difficulty Accepting Positive Feedback: Successes are often attributed to external factors beyond their control, such as luck or the contributions of others, rather than their own skills and efforts. I always cringe when I?am on the receiving end of positive feedback.
• Negative Impact on Relationships and Work: The syndrome can have a detrimental effect on relationships, work performance, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. It can be particularly challenging for women and underrepresented groups.
• Mental Health Issues: Corresponding mental health issues may include depression, low self-esteem, and perfectionism, which can further exacerbate the feelings of being an imposter.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Further research (which includes a single prompt in Perplexity) reveals that while?imposter syndrome is not recognised as a formal mental disorder, there are strategies to overcome these feelings:

• Awareness: Recognizing the signs of imposter syndrome is the first step towards addressing it.
• Self-Compassion: Practicing self-compassion and valuing one's self-worth can be powerful in combating feelings of inadequacy.
• Seeking Support: Talking about feelings of imposter syndrome with mentors, peers, or a therapist can provide perspective and validation.
• Reframing Thoughts: Challenging and reframing the negative thoughts that fuel imposter syndrome can help individuals recognize their achievements and worth.
• Celebrating Successes: Actively acknowledging and celebrating successes can help in internalizing accomplishments.

Outside of speaking to a therapist, I?am attempting these strategies. It may take more efforts to overcome decades of?Imposter syndrome but it is a good start.

One thing I?did was to examine the things I can?do with ease now. E.g. public speaking, appearing on camera, hosting a podcast.

Years ago, my imposter syndrome would kicked in in my attempts of them.

Now it is just another weekday assignment.

Just like practising gratitude, it requires intentional reminder to oneselves.

Blend that into the facts that even Einstein can have imposter syndrome, it isn't unique to some.?

Perhaps that is the sign of growth as we continue to traverse into the paths of unknowns.

And that is how we know we are growing and levelling up.

?? Podcast

130 – Dr. Cecelia Herbert Unveils the Secrets of Employee Experience

Are you curious about the factors that shape the employee experience and its impact on organizations?

Join us on this episode where we dive into the fascinating world of employee engagement, management, and the repercussions of poor EX scores.

Our special guest, Qualtrics Dr Cecelia Herbert ?? , a renowned organizational psychologist and principal behavioural scientist, provides valuable insights and expertise gained from years of experience supporting organizations across Asia.

In this episode, Dr. Herbert explains the intricacies of employee experience, sharing valuable knowledge about its definition, key metrics, and its role in driving productivity and team effectiveness.

Discover the significance of employee engagement as a hero metric, and understand the three crucial components that contribute to a positive employee experience.

But what happens when employee experience scores stall?

Dr. Herbert unveils the reasons behind this phenomenon, debunking common misconceptions and shedding light on the true nature of these metrics. Is it solely due to the ongoing struggle between remote work and office presence, or are there other underlying factors at play?

Get ready to uncover the data-driven insights and trends that shape employee experiences, not only in Singapore but globally.

Join us as we embark on an enlightening journey with Dr. Cecelia Herbert, unravelling the mysteries of employee experience and discovering the strategies for building a thriving and engaged workforce.

Don’t miss out on this thought-provoking conversation that will revolutionize your understanding of employee experience management.

Work It - Why your company needs an AI strategy now

Not a day goes by without some news about generative artificial intelligence, particularly, its impact on jobs.?

Nick Eayrs from Databricks, an AI and data company, unpacks exactly how jobs will be affected and whose responsibility it is to be prepared.

??Recommendations

NotesGPT -?AI-Powered Voice?Note Taking

This is still in my testing phase. I?added it to the home screen of my iPhone for ease of access. Going by the description, it "seamlessly converts your voice notes into organized?summaries and clear action items using AI."

The voice dictate over typing is a hurdle to cross due to muscle memory. But it may be one worth getting used to given the ease of use.

Perplexity -?Your AI-powered Swiss Army Knife for information discovery and curiosity.

Given the amount of hallucination from most LLMs, Perplexity is a breath of fresh air. And Superhuman AI newsletter dropped a dead-simple prompt that anyone can use to speed up whatever report/blog/essay you are working on.

• Go to the Perplexity website
• In the search bar, enter the following prompt: I am writing a report (or blog or whatever) about [insert topic]. Give me a list of key facts and statistics I should include in the report.
• Perplexity will give you a list of sources you can visit to find the information you’re looking for.
• It will also give you a summarized answer with source links you can access to go deeper.

Luma -?Set up an event page, invite friends and sell tickets. Host a memorable event today

If your work involved setting up events (like mine), you will love Luma. It is like Eventbrite made easier. If you already have your visual assets and copywriting, you can create a page in less than 5 mins.

You can send out invites, schedule reminders and even use the Luma app to check in your guests on actual day.

??Thanks For Reading

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