Imposter Syndrome: Why We’re Getting It All Wrong

Every day, millions of people attempt to kill off their ‘Imposter Syndrome’. Award-winning coach Taz Thornton argues we’re unwittingly attacking ourselves.

IMPOSTER Syndrome. Two words — five little syllables — we’ve been conditioned to fear, fight and do all in our power to obliterate. We blame this unseen force for so many of our perceived failings: lack of confidence, procrastination, poor cashflow, low self worth and esteem, even a dearth of clients.

There’s even a special day for it now — International Imposter Syndrome Awareness Day, held on April 13.

If you’re wondering what it is, Wikipedia gives this helpful explanation: “Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.”

In short, it’s a hairy, scary name applied to us doubting ourselves and our abilities — something pretty much all human beings experience, some more than others.

It becomes a problem when that little voice that whispers less-than-sweet-nothings starts to…