Dear One Who Experiences Imposter Syndrome,
Your feelings are valid.
Let me repeat myself. Your feelings are valid.
Feelings are not facts.
So when you start thinking you don't belong, feelings go sit in the back seat. We've got work to do.
I can't tell you how to feel. We can check the facts.
What does your feedback say? Raises, customer comments, what your team and managers are saying.
If they're encouraging you, asking for your input, putting you in front of others to train, write that down.
When your brain says, "I don't belong here," you've got something to check it against.
And my personal opinion, there are plenty of people thinking, "I can't believe these people think I'm a real adult," and they're wearing suits and ties.
So do what you need to remind yourself of your worth, whether that's reviewing old reviews or asking for feedback.
And we're saving the feelings for Christmas commercials and puppy dogs.
Otherwise, it's like that old Dragnet saying, “just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts.”
