Do you have Impostor Syndrome?

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Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud".

The term impostor syndrome, coined in 1978, is described as a feeling of “phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.” Basically, when you feel inadequate despite evident success. (Like who am I to write this article?) Ouch. Sound familiar?

Kids may have developed it based on questionable parenting skills. High achievers may have it, never thinking they’ve done enough. Perfectionists who never think their work is good enough. The list of “impostors” goes on and one. There’s a host of reasons why someone could be living with impostor syndrome. While it’s very real and debilitating, someone might not even realize that they are, in fact, living with it.

If you’re thinking about starting a new endeavor and stepping outside of your comfort zone, you may be even more susceptible to it. I see this with my career coaching clients all the time. Though impostor syndrome isn’t an official diagnosis, psychologists acknowledge that it is a very real and specific form of intellectual self-doubt.

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