How to Defeat Imposter Syndrome as a Woman

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "We Should All Be Millionaires" by Rachel Rodgers. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.

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Why do so many women suffer from imposter syndrome? What even is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is the feeling of being undeserving of your success, despite working hard to achieve it. Women commonly suffer from this and experience burnout and anxiety as a result, according to Rachel Rodgers in We Should All Be Millionaires.

Continue reading to find out how to overcome imposter syndrome as a woman.

Overcome Imposter Syndrome

To be able to recognize your value, you must overcome imposter syndrome—women’s tendency to doubt their skills and abilities and feel undeserving of their accomplishments. If you have impostor syndrome, instead of owning your successes, you might credit them to luck or the efforts of others and feel afraid of being discovered as a fraud. 

(Shortform note: While, like Rodgers, many experts encourage women to overcome their imposter syndrome, others argue that it’s more important to address the environments in which women work. They argue that feeling doubtful at work is normal, but workplace environments tend to perpetuate these feelings for women. They add that the label “imposter syndrome” gives the impression that it’s an issue individuals bear the responsibility for solving rather than something leaders and organizations should seek to solve. Therefore, while it’s important for women to find ways to recognize their worth, the lack of support and validation for women in the typical workplace must be also addressed for more widespread and meaningful change.)

According to Rodgers, imposter syndrome is a major reason why many women aren’t as wealthy as they should be: It stops them from pursuing more wealth by making them afraid to apply for a promotion, take on tough projects, or start their own business, for instance. Imposter syndrome can also cause stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, thereby negatively affecting your overall well-being.

(Shortform note: We might conceptualize imposter syndrome as reaching your happiness threshold. In The Big Leap, psychologist Gay Hendricks writes that we all have a maximum level of success that we’re comfortable with—our “happiness threshold”—which is based on the false, limiting beliefs we develop from our early life experiences. This self-imposed limit prevents us from achieving greater success and wealth: As we succeed and approach this threshold, our imposter syndrome kicks in, causing us to feel unworthy and sabotage our own success. Hendricks argues that keeping yourself from pursuing your highest potential for success and wealth can, like impostor syndrome, cause harm to your physical and mental health.)

To increase your wealth and get the pay and recognition you deserve, you must overcome imposter syndrome. Rodgers provides a few tips on how to do this:

Tip #1: Don’t be hard on yourself for having impostor syndrome. Many successful women have struggled with it, so you’re not alone in feeling doubtful about yourself. Acknowledge your insecurities around your worth and commit to overcoming them.

Tip #2: Write down your achievements, both big and small, as proof of your value. Reviewing your list of accomplishments can remind you that you’re skilled and competent when you feel doubtful.

Tip #3: Seek support. This can mean getting help for your imposter syndrome, like by seeing a therapist or finding a space where you can express yourself and feel understood, like a friend group.

How to Defeat Imposter Syndrome as a Woman

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Here's what you'll find in our full We Should All Be Millionaires summary:

  • Why all women can and should strive to become millionaires
  • Why working harder and living more frugally will not make you wealthy
  • How to develop a positive money mindset and grow your wealth

Katie Doll

Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.

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