Do you suffer from a suspicion you might be a big fraud and everyone’s going to find out?

It’s natural to sometimes feel inadequate but you could be suffering from a much more serious ailment known as imposter syndrome.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is the internal belief that you’re not as competent as others think you are. It manifests itself when people give you praise or positive feedback. You might feel undeserving, even though all the evidence suggests that you’re highly skilled. At its worst, you may feel like a fraud.

The concept was first coined in the 1970s by psychologists to describe an experience often felt by athletes and business executives. They discovered that even the most recognized individuals often failed to understand their worth,  which could cause performance problems.

Imposter syndrome can cause a great deal of damage to your work, career, and personal life, so it’s important to recognize the signs early and take action to stop it.

1. Minimizing Your Achievements

People with imposter syndrome truly believe achievements are not a big deal. When someone praises you, you instinctually rebut it and deep down truly don’t believe that you’re deserving. You may automatically point out the contributions of others to minimize what you did.

2.  Chalking It Up to Luck

People with imposter syndrome attribute their accomplishments to luck. They overstate the role chance plays in their lives, missing completely the skill and hard work that really made it all happen.

3.  An Impossible Standard of Success

You may set an impossibly high standard of success for yourself and then feel that you don’t deserve to achieve it. One way to tell if this is an issue is to detrmine whether you feel fear or anxiety when you think about the goals you want to reach. This is a symptom of the perfectionism that’s often at the core of imposter syndrome.

4.  Fear You’re Not Measuring up

People with imposter syndrome often secretly fear they don’t measure up to other’s expectations. These could be the expectations of your boss at work, your family members, or even friends and business partners. No matter how often they confirm that you’re doing a great job, you feel like it’s never enough.

5.  You’re on the ‘Imposter Cycle’

The imposter cycle is a pattern that starts with anxiety leading to intense over-preparation and planning. Driven by the fear of not doing a looming task well, you go through a frantic process of preparing.This may be accompanied by procrastination and excuse-making. When the project is accomplished, you feel a momentary sense of satisfaction until you think of the next undertaking.

6.  You Don’t Ask What You’re Worth

When you don’t understand your true worth, you don’t ask for what you deserve. This includes the pay you should be receiving. The feeling of inadequacy will impede your need to ask for a raise, quote your services, or make any other kind of big ask.