Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

The first day of the course will provide an overview of what listeners can expect from the course and will also introduce the core components of imposter syndrome. The first lesson will also highlight some of the ways that imposter syndrome shows up in people's lives and why it is important to overcome imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome makes us think that we are not good enough and that we do not have anything to contribute to the teams we are on, the organizations we work for, and the academic spaces we are in. Similarly, discrimination communicates to people that they are not good enough because of their race, gender, ethnicity, sexual identity, ability status, age, and others. When we experience discrimination, people may explicitly or implicitly tell us that we do not belong, that we only got our job or into an academic program because of diversity initiatives. In other words, discrimination can send the message that you are an imposter. In this lesson, we will discuss the ways that discrimination can exacerbate imposter syndrome.

In this lesson, I will share four ways that imposter syndrome can hold us back from fully engaging in school and work. Imposter syndrome holds us back by causing us to procrastinate, overwork, not allow ourselves to learn, and hold ourselves back from contributing. You will be guided to reflect on whether imposter syndrome holds you back in any of these ways or not.

In this lesson I will guide listeners through a visioning exercise that helps them imagine what their lives would be like without imposter syndrome.

In this portion of the micro course, I will share one strategy each day that you can use to overcome imposter syndrome. The first strategy is to identify evidence that you did not get to where you are in life by accident.

In today's lesson, we will discuss the importance of acknowledging the stress of discrimination and how that can impact performance. I will also share coping strategies to use when you experience discrimination to prevent it from making you feel like an imposter.

One of the things that happens for people with imposter syndrome is that they blame their success and accomplishments on luck and they feel that they didn’t really earn achievements or successes that they have. In this lesson I will guide you to acknolwedge your accomplishments to help you overcome imposter syndrome.

One of the things that contributes to imposter syndrome for many of us is feeling like we should know everything already. When we feel confused or unsure about how to do an assignment, we worry that we must be imposters. In this lesson I will discuss the reasons that it can be difficult to allow ourselves to learn and some practices that can help with making room for learning.

Perfectionism is challenging because it can cause us to believe that we will only be successful if we are perfect. When we experience perfectionism, we may feel that we are imposters if what we are doing or producing is not perfect. In this lesson I will guide you to begin to let go of perfectionism in order to help you overcome imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is fueled by a tendency to be self-critical and discount accomplishments. Seeking concrete feedback about your work or other things that you are doing can be another effective way to overcome imposter syndrome. In this lesson I will help you to understand the importance of receiving concrete feedback and to identify 1-2 people that you can ask for feedback.

Many of us have a tendency to reject affirmations, whether they come in the form of a compliment or a positive evaluation at work, we can tend to brush aside the affirmation and respond with all of the reasons that we don’t deserve the affirmation in the first place. Accepting positive feedback supports us in overcoming imposter syndrome because it helps us counter the narrative that we are imposters and not good enough. In this lesson I will share practices to help you accept affirmation.

In this lesson, we will be discussing how to identify your strengths and what you can contribute to your school, workplace, or even the world overall. Imposter syndrome makes us feel like we don't belong, and identifying what we can contribute helps us overcome imposter syndrome. You will be guided to identify your strengths and how they can be used at work and school.

Imposter syndrome often leave us feeling isolated and alone. Our worries that we are not good enough make us want to hide and we don’t share our feelings with others. Creating connections can help us overcome imposter syndrome because they help us feel like we belong in our workplaces and schools. In this lesson, you will be guided to identify people at work or school with whom you can create or deepen connections.

At the core of imposter syndrome is a focus on the negative things we believe about ourselves and worries about failure. Whenever we are overly worried about failure or what might be wrong with us, we lose touch with the present moment, the people we are working with, and what we are working towards. With this final strategy for overcoming imposter syndrome, I encourage you to shift your focus from fear of failing or making a mistake to what you want to give or contribute.

In this final lesson I will review the key points that I shared during the course and provide some suggestions on ways that you can incorporate the 10 strategies we discussed in your daily life as you move beyond the course.