Telling Tales | The one about feeling like an imposter
“I’ve got a PhD in Nuclear Physics.”
“I used to be a director at one of the biggest banks in the country and wrote an algorithm that saves them millions of pounds every year.”
“I used to run the Specialist, Organised & Economic Crime Command at the Metropolitan Police.”
I’ve just come off a Zoom call with these three people. I’m going to be interviewing them as part of a new project I’m working on where I’ve been asked to write the content for their website - among other things.
They were interesting, engaging, funny, and humble. It still didn’t stop me feeling like an imposter.
I’ve been working for myself for 5 years now and - thankfully - they’ve been the best and most successful years of my life. People recommend me to others, I’m sought after, and I get my fair share of praise for the work I do.
Yet, even now, in moments like this morning, the imposter syndrome is real. That feeling of not belonging, of somehow being ‘found out.’
Two thoughts immediately spring to mind:
1. It’s ridiculous to feel like an imposter.
Followed by…
2. Actually, maybe it’s a good thing.
Let me explain. On one hand, it is ridiculous. I’m very good at what I do (even if it does feel weird writing it down like that). On the other hand, I thrive off feeling I have to prove myself and - by staying grounded and never settling on the ‘I’ve made it’ thought - I’m always in a position to learn, to get better at what I do, and to (hopefully) stay relatable and human.
The professional world that surrounds me is one that’s full of bullshit and bravado. Experts with pockets full of promises scatter them more liberally than confetti at a wedding; ditch your job and have the life you’ve always wanted, earn six figures in six weeks, crush life and your competition with this failsafe ten point plan.
It’s everywhere. It’s nonsense. It’s toxic.
These are the real imposters. The ‘fake it ‘till you make it’ crowd. Freelancers, executives, business owners, and everyone else in between - it doesn’t matter what you do, you don’t need to fake it until you make it. And you certainly don’t need to listen to people whose only interest is their own gain.
Be eager, be enthusiastic, have a genuine desire to help, be honest, don’t hide, realise you’ll make mistakes, learn from them, try to improve, be yourself, don’t take yourself too seriously, and enjoy what you do - otherwise, what’s the point?
And do you know what? Do all of that and you’re still going to find yourself in situations where you feel like an imposter. That’s ok. But really, the truth is, you’re more than likely not an imposter. You’re there because you’ve earned it and because you deserve to be.
So what am I going to do with my nuclear physicist, my crime commander, and my tech genius?
I’ll approach it like I always do: with care, with consideration, with thought, with hard work, and with the desire to create an end product that I’m proud of and they love. If there is a recipe for success, then I don’t think it’s much more complicated than this.