5 Signs You’re Experiencing Imposter Syndrome

“There is no way I have enough money or time to run for office.” 

“I hate talking to strangers.”

“I can’t be a politician.”

“I don’t have the right education.”

“What if I am not good enough?”

Sound familiar? You might be suffering from imposter syndrome! 

Imposter syndrome, as defined in our Unleashing Your Power: 5 Transformative Ways to Crush Imposter Syndrome article, is the persistent feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy that accompanies many women throughout their personal and professional lives. Individuals experiencing imposter syndrome can’t see all of the success they’ve had through the feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and apprehension in their work.

Doubt about your abilities can limit your full potential, and the first step to finding a solution is identifying the problem–let’s explore five signs that suggest you might have imposter syndrome!

1. Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the tendency to place extremely rigid, unrealistic standards on yourself or others in an effort to achieve a goal. Traits of perfectionism include fear of failure, overcriticism, obsessive thoughts, and unrealistic goal setting. Perfectionism may lead to overworking, agitation, and feelings of failure. These outcomes can leave a person feeling like they don’t belong–and thus like an imposter. 

Perfectionism isn’t always a bad trait to have, as long as you’re also extending grace to yourself and others, as well as flexibility when it comes to what “achievement” means. 

2. Fear of Failure

Fear of failure often occurs when you are faced with internally or externally imposed achievement-related tasks, such as an academic project, a work goal, or a fitness challenge. Individuals experiencing imposter syndrome may have anxiety about being shamed if they fail to complete a task, which can add pressure to an already stressful situation. 

If you’re experiencing this fear, don’t sweat it! You’re not alone–this feeling is very common, especially for individuals who have high expectations of themselves or identify as “perfectionists.” 

3. Superheroism

Superheroism is one of the key components of the imposter syndrome cycle (try saying that five times fast!). Similar to perfectionism, superheroism is the desire to achieve goals or complete tasks to the best of one’s abilities. Unlike perfectionism, there is a deep moral obligation to your decisions and how you carry something out that can lead to challenges around balance, moral dilemmas, and the realization of one’s limitations. 

With the glory of superheroism comes an immense amount of responsibility. But we’re all human around here, so put down your cape and start to explore what is achievable–without burning yourself out. 

4. Denial of Competence

Individuals with imposter syndrome often discount their intelligence, experience, skills, and talents. When they fail to complete a task successfully, they internalize their failure and relate their success to external factors or chances. Such denial deters individuals from building confidence and accurately analyzing their abilities.  

YOU are the one who put in the work and YOU deserve to celebrate your achievements. Take a second right now to list three actions you took to work towards or accomplish a goal recently. We bet it came to you quicker than you thought! 

5. Fear of Success

Individuals with a fear of success experience anxiety or apprehension about achieving success and reaching their goals. They can have difficulty pursuing success, as they believe that succeeding may lead to things like higher expectations, an increased workload, standing out too much, and straining relationships. All of these factors contribute to imposter syndrome through unrealistic expectation setting. 

Succeeding can sometimes feel like you need to one-up yourself and can lead to trying to see into the future about what is coming next. Instead of trying to fortune tell, focus on how it will feel to succeed and remain mindful of the present. 

Though this list isn’t an exhaustive one, it can help you recognize where you’re at in your journey toward success and overcome the barriers preventing you from tackling your goals. And if no one has told you lately, we believe in you! 

Ready to take down your imposter syndrome? Check out our Overcoming Imposter Syndrome worksheet to begin combating these symptoms and step into your leadership potential!