How to deal with feeling like an imposter in your field

Feeling like an imposter in your field can be a real struggle. You might feel like you don’t deserve to be where you are and that others know more than you do.  You’re not alone in feeling like this—we all have experienced times when we question ourselves or our abilities. This article will give you some tips on how to deal with these feelings of self-doubt so they don’t overwhelm you anymore.

Take stock of your accomplishments.

To combat the imposter syndrome, figure out what you’re good at. Make a list of all of your accomplishments, from major papers you’ve published to small favors you’ve done for colleagues and friends. Then brag about it—a little—to yourself! You don’t want to overdo it and become obnoxious, but if you give yourself permission to sometimes feel proud of what you’ve done, it will make the rest of your self-doubt seem silly by comparison.

Never be afraid to ask for help! If there is something that doesn’t seem like “your thing” or something that intimidates you (like publishing an article), talk with someone who has done this before and ask them how they did it!

Give yourself credit for being exactly where you are supposed to be in life.

You may not have the same level of experience as others in your field. You may not have their education or accolades. But hold on a second—that doesn’t mean you’re an imposter!

  • Give yourself credit for being exactly where you are supposed to be in life.
  • You are exactly where you need to be right now. If your goal is to become a better professional, there’s no way of getting around it because this is where you need to start. If moving forward means taking small steps, that’s okay; small steps add up over time and can lead us further than we ever imagined. So slow down and enjoy each step along the way without beating yourself up about how far away from perfection it is (and trust me when I say that perfection will never happen).
  • Realize that success doesn’t come from being perfect but from learning from mistakes and using those lessons as opportunities for growth—and then repeating them until they work like magic every single time!

Write down five things that make you feel like an imposter in your field.

You’re not alone. Many people feel like imposters in their field, and writing down five things that make you feel like an imposter is an excellent way to start acknowledging your feelings. Why? Because the first step toward change is acknowledging that there is a problem, and once we acknowledge something as a problem, we can start working on fixing it.

(Possible) Answer: You need to get better at your job before you can move up or earn more money or take on new responsibilities

 

Write down five things that prove the opposite is true.

Get a stack of sticky notes and write down the following:

  • Achievements you have achieved in your field
  • Skills you have mastered
  • Things you are good at
  • Things that make you proud of yourself as a person (this could be anything from being able to remember everyone’s name at work to volunteering for a charity organization on weekends)

Be wary of the people who generate negative feelings with their comments or actions.

When you feel like an imposter, it can be hard to let go of your insecurities and trust that others see your value. Avoid hanging out with those who make you feel less than you are by criticizing everything about you—from your wardrobe to the words coming out of your mouth. If someone is constantly questioning what makes them valuable, they’re probably not someone worth keeping around.

Make sure you have positive, supportive people in your life.

This might be tough because the people who are most likely to support you and believe in your success are probably not those who struggle with imposter syndrome. On the other hand, if it’s been a while since someone told you that they think what you do matters or that they’re proud of what you’ve accomplished, reconnect with them—even if it’s just through text or email.

Make sure to surround yourself with supportive friends who can help remind you that there is nothing wrong with asking for help or having more than one career goal at once! If there aren’t any supportive friends in your life right now, then reach out for professional support from a therapist: therapists are trained specifically on how to deal with these issues, so it will be easier than dealing with everyone else anyway!

Don’t let other people’s comments make you doubt yourself.

This is a common pitfall for many who feel like imposters in our fields. We go into an interaction with someone who has more experience or authority than we do, and they don’t listen to what we have to say. They interrupt us and tell us that we aren’t correct. They criticize our work or ideas. And then it feels like they are tearing down everything that we have accomplished so far in our professional life—and sometimes in our personal lives! It makes us wonder if there was anything special about what we did; maybe it was just luck or chance? Maybe this person is right: maybe I am a fraud after all?

Sometimes when this happens, what really needs to happen is for the person being criticized to remain calm, keep their cool, and respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively speaking out against those criticisms immediately (which can often make things worse). But there are also times when the criticism might be warranted—times when perhaps this person has legitimate concerns about how things were handled poorly on some project or another where there were flaws in both process and product which need addressing before moving forward again with confidence going forward into future projects as well…

It can be hard to shake the feeling of being insecure about your accomplishments and like an imposter in your field. But it’s time for a change if your goal is to succeed in life and live up to your potential. Don’t let other people make you doubt yourself! Instead of taking their comments at face value, use them to identify what areas need work so that you can grow as an individual.

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