Breaking the Cycle: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
7 Top Tips That Have Helped Me Overcome Self-Doubt and Achieve My Goals
I’ve been in the Software Engineering industry for 15 years and throughout my career, I’ve had various times where I’ve suffered from imposter syndrome. It’s rife throughout my industry with almost everyone I speak to in my work saying they’ve suffered from it at some point. According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, approximately 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.
It makes you feel like a fraud, like you’re not qualified to do the work you are doing. Constant self-doubt and self-depreciation can be crippling preventing you from doing your best work. That nagging feeling in the back of your head that you can’t do something. It’s a blocker to you being the best you can possibly be.
In this article, I’m going to discuss the strategies that have helped me overcome these feelings and helped me gain more confidence in my abilities.
1. Recognize that you are not alone.
One of the most important things to understand about imposter syndrome is that you are not alone. Many people experience these feelings, including highly successful individuals. Recognizing that these feelings are common can help you feel less alone and more capable of overcoming them. This in itself isn’t a saviour, but it is comforting to realise that others feel just like you do.
2. Learn to identify imposter syndrome when it strikes.
Imposter syndrome can come on suddenly and without warning, but learning to identify the signs can help you manage these feelings more effectively. Some common signs of imposter syndrome include a sinking feeling, fearing that you will be exposed as incompetent.
If you find yourself thinking negatively, take a break. Give yourself a pep talk, look in the mirror, and remind yourself “you got this”. It’s kinda cliche but it genuinely works.
3. Challenge negative self-talk.
One of the most damaging aspects of imposter syndrome is negative self-talk. When you start to feel like you are not good enough, it’s important to challenge those thoughts and replace them with more positive affirmations.
Instead of thinking “I’m not qualified for this job,” try “I have the skills and experience necessary to excel in this role.”
Instead of thinking “I’m not going to succeed in this project,” try “how can I succeed in this project”
Instead of thinking “I can’t” try “I can”
4. Keep track of your accomplishments.
Imposter syndrome can make it difficult to see your own achievements and successes. To combat this, keep track of your accomplishments, whether it’s a project you completed at work or a personal goal you achieved. This can help you see that you are capable of achieving great things.
I keep a journal of my weekly accomplishments and I encourage my team to do the same. It typically looks something like this;
- What did I achieve this week?
- What is something I’m proud of this week?
- What could I do better next week?
The constant and regular reminder of the great stuff I’m doing every week, helps me to see my true value, and improve my self-belief.
5. Embrace your mistakes.
My 5-year-old daughter came back from school one day, and whilst I was cooking I said something along the lines of “oh bloody hell I’ve made a mistake with the dinner”. To which my daughter kindly responds, “don’t worry Daddy, mistakes are how we learn”. I may not have appreciated that kind reminder at that moment, but clearly, her school teachers are doing something right explaining the value in mistakes at an early age.
Everyone makes mistakes, it is indeed how we learn. Making mistakes is the only way to achieve growth and development. Instead of beating yourself up over mistakes, embrace them as an opportunity to learn and improve.
6. Set realistic expectations.
You cannot achieve everything overnight. As much as we’d like to be able to do everything we set our mind to in crazy timescales, sometimes we cannot. Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself can contribute to feelings of imposter syndrome and make you see yourself as a failure.
Instead, try to set realistic goals and focus on making progress toward them. Progress over perfection is always a better path to success. I set stretching but achievable goals, then celebrate my achievements, no matter how small they may seem.
7. Take action.
Finally, taking action is one of the best ways to overcome imposter syndrome. Instead of letting fear hold you back, take steps toward your goals and trust that you are capable of achieving them. Take action, even when you’re not sure you should. Hell, take action, even when everything is telling you not to. Do it anyway and overcome the fear.
When I’m not sure about something I always try to ask myself two questions;
- “what’s the worst that could happen?”
- “what’s the best that could happen?”
The upsides of taking action almost always outweigh the downsides of inaction through fear.
In Closing
Imposter syndrome can be a difficult pattern to break, but it is possible to overcome. By recognizing the signs of imposter syndrome, challenging negative self-talk, and taking action, you can build your confidence and achieve success in your personal and professional life.
Remember, you are capable of great things, and you deserve to believe in yourself.
