Have you ever felt like you are about to be found out? Afraid that people are about to discover you are a fraud, a fake, an imposter even if all evidence tells you otherwise? I assure you, there are others feeling like you.
It was just over a year ago while I was having a drink with a dear friend he mentioned that he is afraid to be marked a fraud. This man is a successful biologist, PhD student and, in my view, a very bright man. It should be needless to say that did not understand his fear, I did however recognise the things he told me. This feeling of being found out was not unknown to me, I might even say that was very familiar with it. Thanks to this friend I now know this feeling is often referred to as the imposter syndrome…and there are others.
Since then I have spoken to many people, all of whom might be classified as high achievers, who are familiar with this feeling. This recognition of the imposter syndrome gave me some solace, however, a solution it did not provide.
For me one the main causes of the imposter syndrome is an inability to internalize achievements and utilization of role models. I have already mentioned that my view of role models has shifted, as does my view of my achievements. One of the goals of this blog is to help me internalize my achievements. The road I travel might not be glamorous, it does however keep me moving forward as a person and professional.