IMPOSTER SYNDROME: 10 SIGNS

She wanted to quit.

Only 6 months into her role as CFO, my client 'Mary' wanted to leave.

Run. Hide. Escape.

She was exhausted from trying hard. From pretending, and worrying and hoping no one would figure out that she didn't know what she was talking about.

Because Mary believed that she really didn't know what she was doing despite her years of experience and being hand-picked by her superior.

Deeply rooted in her self-belief, Mary was sabotaging her ability to do her job, her relationships with her peers and feeling competent and at peace within that position.

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How do you know you're struggling with Imposter Syndrome?

1. Fear of Being ‘Found Out’

When you’re feeling like an impostor, you have a deep fear of being discovered as inadequate or incompetent for a certain role.

This fear can be so intense that it lingers in the back of your mind, eventhough you’ve consistently proven your performance and competence.

2. Persistent Feelings of Inadequacy

No matter how much you accomplish, at the end of the day, you feel as if you’re somehow tricking everybody into believing you’re valuable and capable.

These feelings can be profound and persistent, leading to a constant fear of being discovered as an impostor and a high level of?performance anxiety.

3. Avoiding Activities that Test Your Knowledge and Skills

People with imposter syndrome often avoid putting themselves in situations that test their abilities.?They’re afraid of being discovered as ‘fake’ and worries about being able to meet other people’s expectations.

This feeling worsens as you compare yourself to others, resulting in a belief that you’re not as good or capable as them.

4. Intense Feelings of Performance Anxiety

Feeling insecure about your skills and achievements can negatively impact your relationships, motivation, and ability to pursue goals.

Getting involved with people, activities, and daring projects is tough when you underestimate yourself at every turn and believe that your success results from pure luck or external factors.

5. Fear of Failure

In essence, fear of failure is a sense of insecurity that you experience whenever you’re faced with the possibility of making a mistake or, for various reasons, being unable to achieve a goal.

Mistakes are a normal part of the human condition, and most things we try to achieve are not entirely in our control.

6. Trying Too Hard

When you consider yourself a ‘fraud’ and are constantly worried what others think and that they will find out.?Because of this, you might try to hide it by keeping yourself as busy as possible.

7. Doing the Bare Minimum

On the opposite spectrum, there are those who, because of feeling like imposters, choose to run away from responsibilities.

Instead of taking on tasks and projects that can demonstrate their abilities and build self-confidence, they choose to do the bare minimum.?We need to understand that these people struggle with intense feelings of inadequacy.

8. You Feel Overwhelmed by Negative Self-Talk

At its core, imposter syndrome is founded on a set of beliefs you hold about yourself. These beliefs shape your perspective in the sense that you consider yourself unworthy of your achievements, doubt your abilities, and reject the appreciation you receive for a job well done.

9. Attributing Success to External Factors

For those with Imposter Syndrome, they tend to attribute success externally.?Deep down, they feel like they’re not competent enough to deserve others’ appreciation.?The more they hold on to these self-defeating beliefs, the worse they feel about themselves.

10. Inability to Accept Constructive Feedback

When dealing with imposter syndrome, every piece of advice, feedback, or recommendation feels intolerable, even though the other person might be well-intentioned. That’s because your profound feeling of inadequacy makes you see it as absolute proof that people are starting to notice you’re a ‘fraud.’

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Mary and I worked together for 3 months. And at the end of those 3 months, Mary was excelling in her position: deeply rooted in creating a series of new self-beliefs and a different understanding of who she was.

Is this something you're struggling with as well?

Read more on Imposter Syndrome here.