New Year, Same Fear? How Imposter Syndrome Affects High-achieving Women

06/01/2021

VML US

Advertising Agency

Kansas City, USA

410

ADD TO COLLECTION

06/01/2021

Karen Munns, associate connections director at VMLY&R, ponders the issues surrounding the ‘new year, new you’ mantra and the pressures that it brings

“New year, new you!” Does anyone else cringe at this statement? Why is it that the turning of December 31 to January 1 means we must somehow reinvent ourselves and develop such expansive goals that the ‘new year, new you’ mantra becomes one of “new year, same fear?”

For high-achieving women, this time of the year can lead to gut-churning doubt and fear. Some of us hold onto this fear of not being able to:

Achieve enough.
Lead enough.
Succeed enough.
Or simply, be enough.

Even after the previous year’s accomplishments, praise from management or public accolades, we can still feel like frauds in our own skin.

Imposter Syndrome (a.k.a. Imposter Phenomenon or IS) was first researched by psychologists Suzanne Imes, PhD, and Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, in the 1970s. IS is a sneaky, little nugget that infiltrates the minds of some of the most successful, highest-achieving, deserving women we know. In fact, an estimated 70% of the US population experiences IS, with females having more intense feelings of IS than males. We easily dismiss our successes and achievements as luck, instead of the hard work, perseverance and intellect that it truly is(1). And if left unchecked and unexplored year after year, that feeling of inadequacy can lead to personal and professional burn out, paralysation and self-sabotage.

The Damage: What Is Imposter Syndrome Doing To Us?

Imposter Syndrome has roots in various causes from childhood pressure of achievement to gender and diversity issues, and it is important to spend some time with these impostering feelings to get to the root cause. Some of the most common causes are(2):

Feelings of self-worth, love and approval are based on our achievements.
Females and the ethnic-minority are more susceptible to feelings of isolation and inadequacy.
A lack of confidence influences our inner narrative.
There is past or present internal or external emotional abuse.

Imposter Syndrome can lead to mental health problems, anxiety, a cycle of self-torture, emotional self-sabotage, shame and derailing your career(3).

The Defeat: Changing Your Narrative

How do we defeat Imposter Syndrome? Are there ways to heal and adjust the trajectory of our personal and professional lives? Absolutely! However, it takes conscious awareness and purposeful practice. Here are five solutions you can start employing today:

Journal your wins. Keep a brag file. House your writings, speeches, praise emails, etc. in an accessible location and refer to them when you feel IS creep in. It’ll help remind you of why you are you and totally worthy.
Rearchitect your narrative.
From “I’m so lucky that I got a promotion” to “I worked really hard this year, and I’m proud of myself for getting this promotion.”
From “Everyone here has a higher degree than I do; I don’t belong” to “I am intelligent, prepared and my ideas are valuable.”
Adjust your mindset. Candice Hughes, CEO & founder, BioPharma Strategy & Innovation Specialist, advises us that we not only have to think positively, we need to act with positive intent. Even when self-doubt sneaks in and tells you that you are a fraud and not good enough. Take action. One step forward. One hour later. You’ve made progress(4).
Find a career coach or mentor. No matter how far we travel on the executive path, we all need guidance. Having someone in your corner to guide you, root for you and be direct, kind and honest with you can truly help you uncover and reconcile imposter feelings.
Seek a professional counsellor. Let’s remove any stigma attached to mental health. We have a duty to ourselves to protect our mental health, and a professional trained in counselling is often the answer.

Out of the ‘Same’ Cycle & Into Growth

The above solutions are just a handful of ideas to help guide you to living a rewarding year. By choosing to explore your feelings and challenge your narrative, you have chosen growth. And that’s what makes you a high achiever - the willingness to grow, accomplish great things and live meaningfully. So, be proud. Congratulate yourself. And make 2021 the year you know that you are enough.

Karen Munns is associate connections director at VMLY&R.