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🪴 Never feel like an impostor again

🪴 Never feel like an impostor again

practical guide to not feel like sh*t and avoid burnout..

Oliver Stafurik
December 04, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

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About 70% of all people will experience imposter syndrome in their lives, research has indicated. Luckily, beating it is much easier than most people realise (including me from 2 years ago).

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So what actually is imposter impostor syndrome?

Impostor syndrome has gone viral, with many self-help books trying to address it as a revelation, but really it's a decades-old concept about self-doubt and struggling to accept your achievements.

Big words aside, all it is—a gap in the level of competence. Often, that gap shows up because you’ve stepped into something bigger—a promotion, a new role, or a project that pushes you outside your comfort zone.

See the gap as an opportunity, not a problem. In the end, you are the one with the newest insights.

The easiest fix for impostor syndrome: bridge the gap between your current skillset and the one you consider being appropriate for the given level.

It's about taking action instead of just hoping the doubt will disappear.

This is what taking action might look like:

This action (as most things in life) can be nicely represented by a normal distribution, which leaves with a decent amount of problems.

Left 45%, that’s the paralysis: doing nothing because you’re overwhelmed.

Right 45%, there’s overcompensation/complacency: doing too much, often at the cost of your sanity and the sanity of those around you.

It’s the sweet 10% in the middle that you want to target—just enough action to learn and grow without burning out or becoming complacent.

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These are the most common thought traps:

"I can't fail" - The fear of failure looms large, tied to a worry about being exposed as incompetent. Ironically, success can also feel overwhelming, bringing more pressure and making it hard to enjoy achievements.

"I'm a fraud" - There's a constant feeling of not deserving success, as if others have been misled into believing you're more capable than you really are. This often pairs with anxiety about being "found out" or unmasked.

"It was just luck" - Guess what; everything in life is mostly luck.

"Success doesn’t matter" - Wins are downplayed, attributed to easy tasks or timing. Compliments feel unearned, and success is written off as something anyone could have done.

So how do you overcome those?

Start by recognising the feeling when it surfaces—awareness is the first step to regaining control.
Accept the competence gap; it’s not a sign of failure but of growth. No one starts as an expert, and closing that gap takes time, learning, and deliberate effort.
Instead of letting doubt spiral, rewrite the narrative in your head. It’s okay not to know everything—you’re here to figure it out.
Communication; talk openly about your feelings with others; you’ll often find you’re not alone and more people are willing to help you than you originally thought.
Reframe failure as a tool, not a verdict; mistakes are lessons, not proof you don’t belong. Focus on small wins, forgive your errors, and celebrate progress, no matter how minor.
Most importantly, don’t negotiate against yourself. Trust in your unique skills and ability to improve. Confidence isn’t pretending to know everything—it’s knowing you can learn and adapt.