Have you ever reflected on your accomplishments or career and felt like you just weren’t doing enough? Like you didn’t belong and did not deserve a seat at the table? If you have, these feelings are completely normal amongst many professionals.
With industries embracing diversity in the past few years, a new phenomenon known as imposter syndrome has surfaced. Imposter Syndrome is the feeling that you’re only successful based on luck or other circumstances that exist outside of your talent or skills. According to the International Journal of Behavioral Science, 70% of people experience imposter feelings at some point in their careers. If you’re going through this currently, here are some tips to overcome the feeling.
Identify Why You’re Not Feeling Confident
When you’re working on overcoming imposter syndrome, it’s crucial that you figure out where these feelings stem from. Why do you feel like you’re not enough? How can you address these feelings without projecting onto others? Once you figure out the triggers and causes behind these feelings, you can start to work on overcoming them.
One thing I try to do when I’m not feeling confident is to make self-affirmations and write them down. These affirmations can be anything from “I will succeed today and get all my work done” to “I feel beautiful today and I can conquer anything”. Writing things down has also been known to help them manifest in a real way.
Find A Mentor
It can be hard to adjust to a new workplace or new industry especially when there are a limited number of people you can relate to or who look like you. Finding a mentor that genuinely wants to see you do well, can empathize with your struggles, and help guide you in your new path can be a game-changer for you.
It is also important to note that you may have different mentors during different stages of your life or career. It’s nothing personal, it’s just about who fits the trajectory of your path at that time. When you get to a place that you feel you can flourish make sure to pay it forward to someone else on the come up.
Embrace Your Unique Voice
One thing that many people have a hard time accepting is how different they are in a sea of people unlike them. While this is normal, it’s also crippling in many ways. If you’re brought into a team or space that can benefit from your perspective you should see that as a superpower.
Yes, feeling tokenized does exist and it’s wrong. However, there are many spaces out there who are genuinely looking to create more inclusive environments for all. Regardless of the intentions of others, put your best foot forward and try your hardest. I can guarantee if you take this approach people will see your light shining through and you will ultimately find a tribe that will accept all of you for exactly who you are.
Good luck out there in your journey and realize you are special and your voice matters!