“Fail often, Fail better, Fail forward”
Imposter Syndrome has been described by the American Psychological Association as pervasive feeling of self-doubt, insecurity and incompetence despite evidence of skill and success. The term was coined by psychologists back in the 1970's, although it is no defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Typically, the syndrome exists disproportionately in more driven individuals and correlates strongly with education and salary, but it is the elephant in the room that no one acknowledges. I personally have felt this feeling quite intensely and more so as I have committed myself to increasingly challenging tests, the most recent being an Executive MBA at University of Nevada - Reno. While the feeling is cyclical in nature, it is always present in the back of my mind. waiting for a less than optimal outcome.
While many outright dismiss this feeling or relegate it to dustbin of wasted thoughts, I believe this does a disservice to the feeling. Imposter syndrome is an unlimited well of information for continuous improvement. When taken in context with achievements and accomplishments no matter how small, it can provide the motivation and clarity to focus drive on the next achievable goal.
My personal journey embracing Imposter Syndrome began enrolling in the University of Idaho Mechanical Engineering program. Measured on paper against my much younger peer group, odds predicted failure. My first semester in college during my first attempt, I attained the stellar GPA of 1.8. I was in remedial math, and barely received a passing grade, only to drop out 4 semesters later. While many would have dismissed the comeback, I began using this negative voice in my head to motivate me to work harder than my classmates. While I was certainly no Valedictorian (I finished with a 2.98 GPA), embracing Imposter Syndrome taught me to value lessons learned on the journey over the destination.
Angela Duckworth uses the phrase Grit Paragon to describe someone who has embraced struggle, while David Goggins uses the word “freak”, but both share the common trait of experiencing Imposter Syndrome. Another shared trait is that both have turned a potential negative into a driving force behind. Its time we take their playbook and do aaway with the old notion of “fake it till you make it”. This “faking” mentality is a coping mechanism that buries rather than embraces self-doubt and kicks self-improvement into overdrive. My voice of self- doubt has pushed me to pursue a Masters Degree and learn Python and SQL at the age of 34.
If you have a personal story or want to connect, please reach out and share, and remember –
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
—Theodore Roosevelt
コメント