As an imposter, you get to feel a lot of things, but one thing we should be sure to feel is brave. You might not always be right or successful, but at least you are contributing.
Perrin, you’re an imposter!
Sometimes, maybe more often than I would like to admit, I feel like a fraud. I doubt my own abilities and I encounter ‘Imposter Syndrome’.
First described in the literature by Clance and Imes in their 1978 paper titled “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention”, it’s noted as being,
A psychological pattern in which one doubts one’s accomplishments and as a consequence we feel that we will be exposed as a fraud.
Of course, many of us encounter this syndrome, especially those who are endeavouring to break new ground, be innovative or creative. In fact, if you’re not feeling like that, at least sometimes, it could be argued you’re too comfortable.
What I’ve realised, what I’ve come to learn and manage is that it’s good to feel uncomfortable, because,
This means I’m feeling vulnerable,
This means I’m stretching,
This means I’m contributing, and
This means I have a chance of moving towards better.
