I've written previously about the common feeling that one is an impostor--that any moment, the world will realize that we're not actually talented or even competent. Valerie Young, an expert in this Impostor Syndrome, points out in Psychology Today that it's especially common among these groups:
* the pioneers in any field
* first-generation professionals
* people who work in creative fields
* people who work alone
* people whose parents were high-achievers
* perfectionists
Hmm, three or four of those fit me (I'm not sure I'm perfectionist enough to be a really good perfectionist)--how many fit you? The Imposter Syndrome is another manifestion of the Inner Critic. In many cases, it stems from the feeling that parents or others expected you to fail. You internalize those expectations, and when you don't fail, you discount your success as being either a fluke or a fraud. One step to overcoming this issue is simply to become aware of how many people feel this way.
A longer-term and permanent solution is to Tame Your Inner Critic now. If you'd like to find out about a new program I've developed for Taming Your Inner Critic, click here.
