Imposter Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is a common problem faced by many high-achievers, particularly in the field of instructional design. This phenomenon refers to the persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud, despite being successful in their careers. Imposter syndrome can have a detrimental effect on performance, satisfaction, and can lead to burnout.

A survey conducted by the "elearning and instructional design for beginners mastermind" showed that impostor syndrome is rampant in the field of instructional design, with issues like confidence in using technology, understanding jargon, designing content, and seeing others succeed causing feelings of self-doubt. Impostor syndrome can arise due to factors such as highly skilled individuals thinking others are just as skilled, leading to feelings of inadequacy, or due to pluralistic ignorance, where individuals feel like they're the only ones experiencing these feelings, when in reality others do too.

To help overcome impostor syndrome, it is recommended to talk about it with others who understand, separate feelings from fact, reward yourself for starting out, recognize failure as an opportunity, ask for help, visualize success and fake it till you make it. By following these steps, individuals can feel more confident in their careers and can succeed in instructional design.