2191: [Part 2] Signs of Imposter Syndrome and How it Holds You Back From Success by Rachael Kable on Building Confidence at Work

[00:00:00] Observe. The North American Dad. 50s. Great Polo Collection. He enters his vehicle information on Carvana. An offer appears in minutes. Remarkable. He squints, reads it again, smiles and says, dang, that's a good offer. The highest form of approval. No haggling. No hassle. No one called him boss. He's still on the couch. Astonishing. Sell your car today on Carvana.com. Pickup fees may apply.

[00:00:30] Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it. For a limited time at The Home Depot, get 10% off installed carpet projects on trusted brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection and Traffic Master. Plus, with installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot, upgrading your space is more affordable than ever at The Home Depot. Offer valid September 24th, 2026 through October 4th, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see homedepot.com slash license numbers.

[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. Signs of Imposter Syndrome and how it holds you back from success. Part 2 by Rachel Cable of rachelcable.com. Sign 3. Sabotaging Your Success.

[00:01:15] When you start feeling a little too close to achieving something or experiencing success, do you often find a way to sabotage yourself? If you answered yes, I'm about to explain why that might be. Success can be too uncomfortable because you don't feel like you deserve it. So you act in ways that sabotage your success in order to remain safe and comfortable. Instead of progressing to the next level and potentially feeling even more like a fraud, you'd prefer to stay at your current level.

[00:01:43] So what does sabotaging success look like? Well, you might give up a hobby before you get, quote-unquote, too good. You might avoid asking for a promotion or even turn down a promotion. You might deliberately procrastinate over an important task so it doesn't turn out as good as it could have. You might step back and let someone else take credit for your hard work.

[00:02:09] Sign 4. Attributing Your Success Mostly to External Things When you're experiencing Imposter Syndrome and you achieve something, you might say, Oh, I had so much help. I didn't really do that much. Or, I only achieved my success because of good luck. Now, it's true that success can be the result of some good luck, and maybe you did have some help from other people along the way.

[00:02:33] However, you might attribute your success almost exclusively to those external factors, rather than recognizing your own efforts, skills, or knowledge. For example, when I was offered a book deal and people congratulated me, I said, You know, it was just lucky that a publisher was listening to my podcast and liked it enough to reach out to me. And that's what I honestly believed. I didn't consider the fact that I'd worked hard on creating a weekly podcast for several years,

[00:03:00] or that I researched how to create a good book proposal and spent many hours putting it together, or that I'd been writing articles for years and honing my writing skills. Instead, I described my success as being largely the result of luck. So, if you find yourself discrediting your achievements, or attributing your success almost exclusively to external things, that could be imposter syndrome at work. And sign 5. Mistakes and Failure Cause Distress

[00:03:27] When you're already worried that you're a fraud, any mistakes or failures might seem like confirmation that you are indeed a fraud. So, rather than making mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward, you're overly critical with yourself. You might try to keep your mistakes secret. You'll probably feel stressed, frustrated, or ashamed. And you might spend a whole lot of energy trying to make up for your mistakes unnecessarily. Note. This isn't an exhaustive list of signs of imposter syndrome.

[00:03:56] There are other ways that imposter syndrome can interfere with your life. And you won't necessarily experience all of the signs I've mentioned either. The main key sign of imposter syndrome is that you feel like an imposter or a fraud, even when there's evidence that says otherwise. How Imposter Syndrome Holds You Back From Success 1. Imposter Syndrome Undermines Your Confidence When imposter syndrome occurs, it can negatively impact your confidence. You might worry that you're not good enough.

[00:04:25] Compare yourself to others. And doubt your skills and strengths. The longer imposter syndrome continues, the more it can erode away your confidence and hold you back from achieving success. 2. Imposter Syndrome Stops You From Asking For Help When You Need It One of the features of imposter syndrome is worrying that other people will find out you're a fraud. Instead of risking that, you might avoid asking for help and push yourself to hide mistakes or figure out everything on your own.

[00:04:54] This can be a very isolating experience, and it can also hold you back from achieving greater success. Sometimes it's important to ask for help and to work with others. And if you can't do those things, you might be more likely to quit or take much longer to get things done. 3. Imposter Syndrome Interferes With Self-Reassurance Self-Reassurance is the ability to be soothing, encouraging, and supportive to yourself, especially when you're facing setbacks.

[00:05:21] When you can't reassure yourself effectively, you might be more affected by negative thoughts about the future, and become less likely to take action towards your goals. You might be more likely to quit when setbacks occur, or beat yourself up unnecessarily. For example, imagine your goal is to leave your current job so you can work in a field you feel more passionate about. But when you find out that your first application for a new job is rejected, it triggers negative thoughts about yourself and your future. What if you're not good enough?

[00:05:50] What if you never get the right opportunity? What if you aren't as competent in your new job as you thought you'd be? And some of those concerns might be valid and worth exploring and understanding. However, if you can't reassure yourself, you probably won't have any balance between those negative thoughts and positive thoughts, and so you might be persuaded to give up in the face of the setback and corresponding negative thoughts. One of the problems with imposter syndrome is it tends to encourage those negative thoughts and interfere with self-reassurance,

[00:06:19] so you can't move on from mistakes and setbacks. And 4. Imposter Syndrome Could Increase Your Risk of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression In 2019, researchers analyzed 62 studies on imposter syndrome, with a total of 14,161 participants, and concluded that imposter syndrome often occurred alongside depression and anxiety.

[00:06:43] Imposter syndrome was also associated with burnout, impaired job performance, and lower job satisfaction. All of these challenging experiences can potentially hinder success, especially if they continue to develop over time. You just listened to part 2 of the post titled, Signs of Imposter Syndrome and How It Holds You Back from Success, by Rachel Cable of rachelcable.com. Shaq here.

[00:07:12] What's it like to buy a car from Carvana 100% online and get it delivered to your door? Let me tell you. Your car is here, Mr. Shaq. Thank you, Mr. Carvana guy. Can't wait to take it for a spin. Only the best for you, Mr. Shaq. Hey, have you always been so big, tall, and handsome? Not always. I was 6'10 once. Seven days to love it or return it, Mr. Shaq. Not that I would. You never do. No, I never do. So buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. See our 7-day return policy at Carvana.com.

[00:07:42] Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it. For a limited time at The Home Depot, get 10% off installed carpet projects on trusted brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection, and Traffic Master. Plus, with installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot, upgrading your space is more affordable than ever at The Home Depot. Offer valid September 24th, 2026 through October 4th, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see HomeDepot.com slash license numbers.

[00:08:12] And thanks again to Rachael for this post, both yesterday and today. One thing about her background that I didn't touch upon in the last episode. With a Bachelor of Psychological Science, Certificate in Coaching and Counseling, and experience as a Helpline volunteer on the Anxiety Recovery Center, Rachel embarked on her blogging and podcasting journey in late 2015, hoping to share her personal stories and experiences with mindfulness, including how mindful living helped her manage stress and improve her well-being.

[00:08:41] Rachel's passion and knowledge attracted listeners and readers from all over the world. And that is it for today. Hope you enjoyed the post, and that you'll be back again with me tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits. Hope you enjoyed the post,