Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Imran Afzal UX Manager FGH / Otto UK @avimran

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A pattern of disconnect between perceived performance and accomplishment @avimran

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Attribution Theory Attribution Theory states that humans attribute success/failure to both internal and external factors, which then informs future responses We often attribute our success to external factors such as hard work - and not our own intrinsic ability @avimran

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Occam’s Razor Our minds have evolved to trust the simpler explanation @avimran

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Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which individuals have diﬃculties accepting their achievements, with a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud The impostor syndrome first described by American clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978 @avimran

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Triggers @avimran

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Identifiers @avimran

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Can Imposter Syndrome affect anyone? @avimran

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7 out of 10 people experience Imposter syndrome at some point in their lives @avimran

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Natalie Portman - Actress Actress (and Harvard alum) Natalie Portman described the self-doubt she experienced as a Harvard student. “I felt like there had been some mistake…” @avimran

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John Steinbeck - Author “I am not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people.” He admired his characters for being “so much stronger and purer and braver” than he was. @avimran

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Doug Collins - UX Practitioner @avimran

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Finding Balance @avimran

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How can you overcome Imposter Syndrome? @avimran

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Find a Mentor Find a mentor that you can talk to and share fears with @avimran

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Focus on Learning Focus more on what you’re learning, than on how you’re performing @avimran

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Accomplishment Journal Write down what you’ve accomplished - and keep referring back to it regularly @avimran

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Don’t Compare Don’t compare yourself to others - your journey, perspective and destination is unique @avimran

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Pause & Reflect Reflection will help you make meaning of experiences and process your feelings/thoughts @avimran

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Can you really overcome Imposter Syndrome? @avimran

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A Constant Battle @avimran

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We’re all Imposters No one knows how to be a proper adult, worker, parent, designer or anything else @avimran

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“Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.” Brené Brown Professor/Author/Researcher @avimran