THE IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED – (CHAPTER 01)

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostor-ism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Impostor syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that we are not as competent as others perceive us to be. While this definition is usually narrowly applied to intelligence and achievement, it has links to perfectionism and the social context.

To put it simply, imposter syndrome is the experience of feeling like a phony—we feel as though at any moment we are going to be found out as a fraud—like we do not belong where we are, and we only got there through dumb luck. It can affect anyone no matter their social status, work background, skill level, or degree of expertise.

Impostor syndrome is different from the standard “fake it until you make it” in that impostor syndrome impacts people who have already made it in a big way. People like Neil Armstrong, Michelle Obama, and Tom Hanks have all had bouts with impostor syndrome. If people who’ve achieved that level of success feel impostor syndrome, it’s a pretty normal feeling for any of us to feel the same.

Imposter syndrome takes up a lot of emotional energy and physical time, both of which we could be investing in our business, relationships, or personal life. It can also drive hesitation and prevent us from taking on opportunities that can propel our success. Imposter syndrome also occurs in normal human-to-human relationships. Based on this syndrome, continuing doubts about people and individual defense mechanisms are considered difficult to achieve healthy relationships.

Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve all they have achieved. Individuals with impostorism incorrectly attribute their success to luck, or interpret it as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be.

Common Characteristics of Imposter Syndrome

Causes of Imposter Syndrome

While for some people, impostor syndrome can fuel thoughts of motivation to achieve, this usually comes at a cost in the form of constant anxiety. We might over-prepare or work much harder than necessary to “make sure” that nobody finds out we are a fraud. This sets up a vicious cycle, in which we think that the only reason we survived that class presentation was that we stayed up all night rehearsing. The problem with impostor syndrome is that the experience of doing well at something does nothing to change our beliefs. It’s as though we cannot internalize our experiences of success.

This makes sense in terms of social anxiety if we received early feedback that we were not good at social or performance situations. Our core beliefs about ourselves are so strong, that they do not change, even when there is evidence to the contrary. The thought process is: If we do well, it must be the result of luck because a socially incompetent person just doesn’t belong.

Impostor Syndrome and Social Anxiety

Eventually, these feelings worsen anxiety and may lead to depression. People who experience impostor syndrome also tend not to talk about how they are feeling with anyone and struggle in silence, just as do those with social anxiety disorder.

Impostor syndrome and social anxiety may overlap. We might be in a conversation with someone and feel as though they are going to discover our social incompetence. We might be delivering a presentation and feel as though we just need to get through it before anyone realizes we really don’t belong there. While the symptoms of social anxiety can fuel feelings of impostor syndrome, this does not mean that everyone with impostor syndrome has social anxiety or vice versa. People without social anxiety can also feel a lack of confidence and competence. Impostor syndrome often causes normally non-anxious people to experience a sense of anxiety when they are in situations where they feel inadequate.

Identifying Impostor Syndrome

Self reflective inquiry can help in the identification Some of these stimulus may be:

The negative thinking, self-doubt, and self-sabotage that often characterize imposter syndrome can have an effect on many areas of our life.

Impostor syndrome Appearance

Impostor syndrome can appear in a number of different ways:

Impostor Syndrome and Procrastination

Impostor syndrome can send us into some very interesting cycles of procrastination and over preparation.

1. Impostor syndrome drives us to over-prepare or procrastinate achievement-related tasks
2. The results of our over preparation and procrastination feed more impostor syndrome. 

It’s a cycle called the Impostor Cycle. Here’s how it works. Think about having done something in the past – any achievement-related task like taking a test, giving a presentation at work, playing an open-mic night, or even writing an article.  Here is how it flows:

The Procrastination Path

If we procrastinate on that task, then we will rush at the end of our procrastination habit to cram in the work we have to do. In this situation, no one knows that we procrastinated except for us. When the task goes well, a normal feedback-loop would boost our confidence. But in the Impostor Cycle loop, we discount the positive feedback that we receive because we know that we procrastinated. We start to feel like we have fooled people yet again and did not earn that positive feedback. 

The next time we receive a task, we know that this could be the time that we fail and people figure out that we have been a fraud the entire time. So our ego kicks and it avoids the task and procrastinates again. This creates a see-saw battle between procrastination and impostor syndrome that is challenging to interrupt.

Over Preparation Path

Over preparation has two potential impostor cycles.

***To be continued in Chapter 02 (Root causes, measuring Imposter Syndrome, Ways to identify and cope) – Link to Chapter -02:

THE IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED – (CHAPTER 02)

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa.

THE IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED – (CHAPTER 02)

***Continued from Chapter 01 (Covered previously: Meaning, Characterestics, Apparance and Manifestation)

Link to Chapter 01:

THE IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED – (CHAPTER 01)

Root Causes — And Potential Solutions 

Regardless of how or why people may feel like an impostor occasionally, this syndrome is all about the stories that we tell ourselves. We step out with an idea, then when someone says “no,” we retreat and the cycle repeats. The stories may not be true anymore, but they become a habit.  It may happen in school and then in meetings at work. Our ideas get shut down as someone says, “I’ve been here 11 years and that won’t work.” We develop complex coping mechanisms around these stories and deepen the groove in our brain of the thoughts and behaviours, making it very difficult to break the mental connections we’ve made – or to step into our brilliance, whatever it may be.

Measuring Impostor Syndrome

The first scale designated to measure characteristics of impostor syndrome phenomenon came in 1985, called the Clance impostor phenomenon scale (CIP). The scale can be used to determine if characteristics of fear are present, and to what extent. The aspects of fear include the fear of evaluation, fear of not continuing success and fear of not being as capable as others.  The Impostor phenomenon can be distinguished by the following six dimensions:

By this model, for an individual to be considered to experience impostorism, at least two of these aspects have to be present.

Coping with Impostor syndrome

To begin to get past this, we need to engage in deep self reflection. Some questions that may help are:

Perfectionism plays a significant role in impostor syndrome. We might think that there is some perfect “script” for conversations and that we cannot say the wrong thing. We probably have trouble asking for help from others and may procrastinate due to our own high standards. To move past these feelings, we need to become comfortable confronting some of those deeply ingrained beliefs we hold about ourselves. This can be hard because we might not even realize that we hold them, but here are some techniques we can use:

Rewire Your Brain 

Small changes are great, but it’s the deeper changes that have lasting impact. The biggest step toward gradually breaking through impostor syndrome is to change the way our brain chemically responds to negative messages. Self-imposed limitations are the greatest barrier to change. Few ways in which we can begin to turn potential self-limiting challenges into strengths – and train our brain to make new, more productive connections may be:

A) Learning how to sit in inquiry: . . . . . . . . . . . .  Turning questions into curiosity: Instead of just asking “Why did that happen?” ask, “How could it be different next time?” Use of solution-focused thinking such as, “What stopped me from making this mistake this time, and how can I practice more of that skill?”, etc.  Identify our stronger skills so that we can build on them rather than repeat mistakes.

B) Practicing periods of useful reflection: . .. . . . Ruminating on issues does not solve anything, or everything would be fixed. Worries are just made-up stories. Attaching facts to worries in order to gain insight and a fresh perspective helps. When we feel a judgment popping up (which will often be subjective), ask ourselves, “What are the facts?”

C) Use of “and” instead of “but” to weigh things more evenly: . . . . . . It’s all about the words we use. Most of the time, replacing “but” with “and” will lend a fresh perspective. Practice of not speaking in absolutes. Turn “I always…” into “I sometimes…” and we will literally change our brainwaves.

D) Post reminders of past successes: . . . . . . .  Hang our degrees, accolades and thank-you cards where we can see them, so that we are constantly reminded of the times we performed well in the past. We all need signposts to remind ourselves as we get caught up in our daily work. Let them become our pep talk and reminders of our brilliance, especially before important meetings or conversations.

Practicing a more mindful, inquisitive approach to impostor syndrome can go a long way toward alleviating its power over us in the workplace. True change begins on a personal level, but its effects need to be taken seriously at an organizational level as well.

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa.

DEVELOPING CONSISTENCY: BEHAVIOURS INVOLVED

Every single one of us has the potential to be so much more than we are, and throughout our lives, we stumble upon so many amazing ideas and take great initiatives for our growth and well-being, and we also go to great lengths to get started and get things going. 

So many great ideas and initiatives just get buried in the ground forever. So many people who have the potential to achieve so much never make it, only because of the lack of consistency. We often have so many positive intentions and thoughts, and we often know what we “should” do to increase the quality of our lives. If only we could consistently follow some of our life’s callings, our lives might transform beyond our imagination. This can also lead to:-

1. Self Doubt. Doubting our own ability to be consistent and ability to follow through, leading to people’s image of us being inconsistent.
2. Self Image. This doubting impacts our self-image and self-esteem. 
3. Loss Of Trust. This leads to loosing trust in ourselves, becoming afraid to commit to anything, ending up in a negative self-belief.

Some of the principles for building consistency are:

1. Commit IF You REALLY Want To Do It:. . . . .Often people commit to things in the heat of the moment, and their decision to commit is based on the face value of things. Before committing to anything important, think the following questions through:

1. Are you really willing to face the challenges that’ll come along the way?
2. Are you willing to go through the learning curve and develop all the necessary skills that you might need along the way?
3. Are you willing to take time out for this even if it means making some sacrifices on other things?
4. What is your real WHY behind wanting this? Be honest with yourself.

2. Don’t Complicate. Make it Simple and SUSTAINABLE: . . . . . . . . . A lot of people when starting off in something, get into too much fuss and tiny details. They make it way more complex than it should be. Remember, the key to Sustainability is Simplicity. If you get into too much detail in the beginning, trying to make everything perfect, and fretting over tiny details, it will be difficult for you to last long, after the initial hype fades off. First, just get in the habit of getting things going. 

3. Choose EFFICIENCY Over CREATIVITY (where needed): . . . . . . . . . . . Creativity – in the right place – is certainly a must and has its own place. But sometimes, unnecessary creativity can affect the efficiency and flow of things, making it difficult to sustain in the long run. Don’t waste your creative efforts in petty things especially as you are starting off. Choose flow and efficiency in routine tasks so that you don’t have to waste your mental energy on the small stuff. Reserve your mental energy and creativity for things that really matter in terms of your progress.

4. Avoid “Paralysis by Analysis”:. . . . . . . . . . .With SO MUCH information out there, many of us get caught up with all the details and analytics. When you analyze things too much, especially when they are in their initial phases and not producing many results you’ll get fed up and eventually give up.

5. Set Realistic Goals And Expectations:. . . . . . . . . . .Many people, after seeing other people’s overnight success stories, expect results too early. They overestimate what they can achieve in 6-12 months. Things take time to develop. The success stories we hear of people who blew-up overnight are exceptional cases, not a norm. Aim the highest, but set realistic goals and expectations.

6. Pace Yourself To Avoid Burnouts:. . . . . . . . . . .The initial hype of things can make us work too hard to the point of burnout. It’s wise to see this beforehand and avoid it. Work hard, but remember to pace yourself and take some time to breathe, enjoy and relax along the way. Switch things up a little up to refresh your mind and spirits.

“You throw a bucket of water on a rock and it doesn’t do anything.
You let a drop of water fall onto a rock everyday and it creates a hole in that rock.”

7. Value PROGRESS Over PERFECTION:. . . . . . . . . . .To attain perfection can take a long time, if there is such a thing as perfection in the human world. When we start out on something enthusiastically, our inner perfectionist and critic tend to come out and pinpoint all the flaws and errors. Things don’t always have to go smoothly and go the way we expect. It’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s not a big deal if we mess things up sometimes.

Also, the “All or Nothing” mindset is very unproductive and inefficient. We cannot always give our best all the time. Sometimes we have to perform on an average level to be able to maintain consistency, just don’t make it a habit. We are humans, we have our ups and downs. Nothing is 100% perfect. If you think that being consistent means to never falter ever again then you need to reshape your perception about consistency.

8. Learn To Say NO:. . . . . . . . . . .Learning to say NO is an essential part of being consistent. It’s very hard for a Yes-Man/Woman to be consistent at something because they are always occupied by things that are not necessary. Prioritize and don’t let any distractions drag you away from your priority tasks. If you made a commitment to a certain thing, keep it high on your priority list and say no to anything that might get in the way. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Whether it be making promises to self or to other people.

Sometimes life can get in the way no matter how hard we try to commit, and that is totally natural. The thing that determines your consistency is not how perfectly you follow through, but how fast you come back to your commitment if you get off track.

9. Create a System and Automate Your Work:. . . . . . . . . . .Whether you’re seeking consistency in your personal life or professional life, make it a point to set a specific system so that everything clicks, instead of you thinking about the order of thing or the tiny details every time you do something. When you set a system, you don’t have to waste your mental energy thinking or worrying about everyday stuff.

Also, look towards automating as many things as you can through apps and online services. Use technology as your servant and delegate as much work to it as you can. Automation will tremendously simplify your life, save your from being overwhelmed, and free up a lot of time which you can utilize in other important things.

Steps to build the skill of Being Consistent:

Every year people make new resolutions. For the first couple of days, they ride that wave of motivation. They show up, do the work, move on. Another day won. But then the novelty wears off. It doesn’t have to be that way. Being consistent is a skill that can be developed. Here’s one way to build the skill.

Step 1: Choose a Goal: . . . . . . This is the easy part: choose something you want to achieve. You have something already on your mind. Maybe you want to start writing. Or lose weight. To maximize your odds of success, bind it to personality change. You’re not looking to achieve, you want to become. Connect your goal to a personality change to make it permeate. For example, you’re someone who writes, or, a healthy person that eats clean and exercises.

“I want to become_______.”

Step 2: Tie It to an Action: . . . . . .How are you going to reach your goal? What does success look like? This is the rep — the action you’ll be doing consistently to achieve your goal. Focus on the process rather than the outcome. For Example, a writer writes. There’s really nothing else to it. Your action is sitting down to write for 30 minutes every day. A healthy person exercises. Commit to making 10 pushups per day, no matter what. Choose easy actions. First, you need to master showing up, or getting started. The habit of consistency isn’t about grand gestures or quick results. It’s about incremental progress over a long period of time. It’s 1% for years.

“I want to become_______ by ____________ every day/week.”

Step 3: Commit to a Time and Place: . . . . . .It’s now time to set intentions: choosing a time and place to perform your action. The easiest place to start is inserting your new action into your routine. It’s important that you choose a non-negotiable time to practice and be consistent. The location can be as simple as “at the desk” or broader like “the park”. Come out of this step with a time and place for your habit.

“I will become_______ by____________ every day/week at_______ am/pm at_________.”

Step 4: Track Your Progress: . . . . . .You want to make yourself accountable. All you need is a calendar and a marker. It has to be physical and you’ll understand why in a minute. Remember the consistency formula is: “I will become (GOAL) by (ACTION) every day at (TIME) at (LOCATION).” Write your consistency “affirmation” at the top of your calendar. When you practice your habit, draw a big X on top of that day. Every X on your calendar is a vote for who you want to become.

Step 5: Don’t Break the Chain: . . . . . . After a few days, you’ll start seeing a chain of X’s. Visual progress pleases the brain. Keep the chain going. It doesn’t matter if the end result is good or bad, you just do it. No excuses. If you do fail, get back on track as quick as possible. One day is a lapse. Two is the beginning of a new habit — the habit of not being consistent. You’ll struggle. That’s part of the process. Accept it, embrace it, move ahead.

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa