Why am I always doubting myself and my work ?

JulieLeclercq·Sep 08, 2020

Posted in:Vents

It's a bit annoying. I don't see many guys with impostor syndrome.

JCLindquist·Sep 09, 2020

Boys are raised to be bold and girls are raised to be perfect. When we feel we are not perfect we begin to question ourselves where as boys just say f**k it and move on to the next thing.You are not alone in this!

S9·Sep 09, 2020

Is there a particular thing that makes you doubt yourself? Is it just a professional feeling or does it seep into your private life? What do you do to ensure that you're aware of how great you are? Do you ever independently review your CV/portfolio to see how much you've achieved? Do you celebrate your achievements?^ It sounds like an interrogation, but basically, during lockdown, I had a digital detox and came across pictures of myself from a few years ago and I felt like I looked great in them. At the time, the only thing I could see was fat I wanted to lose, hair that didn't look great etc. I regretted not looking at them earlier. I did the same with my work, and I tried to remember how I felt during the work itself (a lack of confidence etc) and I found it helpful because I managed to overcome all of the instances in the past. Imposter syndrome happens to lots of people, men I know too, but I would recommend giving yourself a break, and doing an audit of your achievements.

sarahgibson·Sep 09, 2020

+1 to this suggestion. I've also been dealing with some imposter syndrome during lockdown. I attended a virtual workshop about how to deal with Fear, and one thing she suggested was to make a list of your top 100 accomplishments. 100!!! It's really hard, and you end up having to go way back (like, I won the spelling bee in 6th grade), but it actually is helpful to relive those moments throughout your life that made you proud. Also updating the resume can help remind you of all your professional accomplishments and how bad@$$ you really are.

sarahgibson·Sep 09, 2020

Have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger Effect? If not, I highly recommend listening to this 10-minute clip of This American Life: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/585/in-defense-of-ignorance/act-two-7

JulieLeclercq·Sep 10, 2020

Yes I have listened to this podcast before and it's very true. These types of things are easy to forget thanks for reminding me @sarahgibson

cosmogal·Sep 11, 2020

Thank you for sharing the podcasts.

maggiewolff·Sep 09, 2020

For me personally, trying to unpack my need to be a people-pleaser has been so helpful to personal growth. It's amazing how much that impacted ALL of my relationships, not just personal but also professional.