A couple of years ago, I took the Clance IP test and discovered that my scores on the Imposter Phenomenon (IP) were really high! This explained my tendency to doubt my own ability to succeed as a researcher.<\/p>\n
Although the people around me would remind me that my achievements showed that I had what it takes to be a researcher, I wasn\u2019t convinced. In short, I lacked self-confidence. I know that I am not the only victim of this feeling.<\/p>\n
Many researchers\u2019 productivity is affected by this syndrome, and IP is more common among high achievers, people with the perfectionist personality type. So how am I dealing with this? I realized that irrespective of the cause of my IP, I had to accept it and focus on regaining my confidence.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, it doesn\u2019t matter who believes (or doesn\u2019t believe) in me. I have to believe that I have what it takes to become a researcher. I have also started celebrating each small success I achieve and tried to take on more challenges, especially in areas where I lack confidence.<\/p>\n
It is like jumping in the pool and learning to swim all by myself\u200a\u2014\u200ascary at first but quite enjoyable with practice. I now spend more time with people who remind me of my strengths. These are baby steps but they are helping me. I don\u2019t expect my IP to disappear overnight, but I believe that as I continue to use these four steps, I will gradually overcome it. And so will you If you persist!<\/p>\n