When I first started my career, I had a thing called "imposter syndrome".
It hurt my performance and mental health.
It is loosely defined as "doubting your own abilities":
I could not find my voice raised in any meetings. I was afraid of making a point, worried that I might ask "dumb" questions and didn't know how to seek help.
I pushed myself to work hard for long hours and never felt satisfied with my outcomes.
I picked up more things to learn in order to "fix" things that I fell short behind without a clear priority.
Other common symptoms of "imposter syndrome" (by verywellmind):
- An inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
- Attributing your success to external factors (e.g "a stroke of luck")
- Fear that you won't live up to expectations
- Overachieving
If it happens to you, do this:
- Have a self-reflection to embrace your strengths
- Ask for feedback from managers & peers about your current performance
- Find a mentor/career coach
- Join #IamRemarkable workshop
- Document all past & current achievements. Read it to boost your confidence on a "rainy" day :)
Check out other posts I wrote about career development here.
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