Impostor Syndrome: What It Is, Do You Have It, and What You Can Do About It #NPCOMMLIFE

Let me tell you a few things about me:

• I have a degree in political science.
• After college, I was the supervisor of the bankruptcy department at a mortgage company.
• I was a stay-at-home mom for 9 years then became a virtual assistant.
• As you can see, I have NO formal background in marketing or nonprofits (other than some volunteer work).
• I now work with my big sister.
• I suffer from depression and anxiety.

So you better believe the Impostor Syndrome is strong with me – like Jedi level strong!

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which one doubts one’s accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.

Here is how Valerie Young, who wrote The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, identifies the five types of impostor syndrome:

1. The Perfectionist: You set very high, if not unattainable, goals for yourself and then feel unworthy when you don’t reach them all.
2. The Expert: You think you should know everything about everything and feel like a failure when you inevitably don’t.
3. The Soloist: You think asking for help or advice is shameful.
4. The Natural Genius: You were probably a gifted child and school came easy to you. You judge yourself harshly if you don’t understand something right away.
5. The Superwoman/Superman/Super Student: You feel like you should be able to juggle it all – work, life, whatever – easily and feel like you have to work harder to keep up with everyone else.

(Honestly, I feel like on any given day, I have all 5 types!)

Now let me tell you a few more things about me:

• I worked full time while also going to college full time.
• I dealt with lawyers, had to attend court hearings and file documents, managed a staff and wrote the first training manual for the entire department.
• I started a business from scratch and had so many clients, I had to start turning down offers.
• My sister and I are formal business partners and I am very good at my job.
• Eh – I still suffer from depression and anxiety (can’t win ’em all!)

It really all depends on how you look at things.

If you often think you aren’t worthy, find out which type of imposter syndrome you have and how you can deal with it using this infographic:

Are you suffering from impostor syndrome? courtesy of Resume.io