Imposter Syndrome No More: How to "Faith It 'til you Make It"
Written by Catherine Koverola, PhD
The academic year heralds the beginning of a new journey for incoming students. It also signifies the beginning of a new and exciting journey for new faculty. Some of the more rewarding meetings I have each fall are with new faculty members, most of whom are just launching their careers after a long, often arduous journey in graduate school.
One day, I sat down with one of our new faculty members. He absolutely beamed with enthusiasm and excitement about the opportunity unfolding before him. After sharing his bold visions for scholarship and teaching, he humbly remarked, “Sometimes I can’t believe it’s real–being a professor here.” I, in turn, shared one memory of my own experience as a newly minted professor. I remember actually pinching myself to ensure it was real, thinking, “How could it be that I’m a professor—me? A professor? How did this happen?!”
As we laughed together, we shared our mutual experiences of occasionally feeling like we had fooled everyone. “What if they find out who I really am?” This is what many like to call “Impostor Syndrome.” Who among us, during moments of reflection and achievement, has not felt a bit like an impostor?
The next day, I found myself in yet another delightful conversation with one of our new faculty. She excitedly shared that she had decided to reframe the concept of “fake it ‘til you make it” into “faith it ‘til you make it!” We discussed the research on neuroplasticity and the human capacity to change and rewire our brains.
By consistently acting on a positive belief like “I can do this” instead of “maybe I can’t do it,” those “can do” behaviors start to become our new normal. This frame of faith rather than fake is truly powerful. “Faith” is a profound confidence and belief, even without evidence, while “fake” suggests inauthenticity, fraud, and even betrayal. Having the courage to believe in oneself and shake the impostor syndrome takes some serious faith.
Years ago, my husband, a very practical man, was patiently listening to my ruminations and self-doubts. He happened upon my diplomas, sitting in a pile in our house. After some thought, he said, “Catherine, do you think if I frame these up real nice and we hang them on your wall, and you stare at them for a few years, you’ll get the hint that you are qualified to be a professor and that you don’t need any more degrees?” This gentle intervention had an incredible impact on me.
Today, the frames that adorn each diploma represent not only my husband’s labor of love, but also a concrete, daily reminder that I earned my credentials. As much as I may wander into self-doubt and begin to question, I am not an imposter.
Day after day, after the diplomas were mounted, I would sit at my desk grading papers, reworking a syllabus, or drafting a manuscript. Each glance up at them reinforced who I was as a scholar and educator. Those framed diplomas marked a shift in my perception of who I was: a professor, scholar, teacher, clinical supervisor—no longer the sleep-deprived, harried graduate student waiting for the “real thing” to begin.
I imagine everyone goes through a unique set of experiences that shift them from “impostor” to “legitimate.” It involves being able to embrace our talents and capacity in whatever new role we find ourselves, and that’s not always easy.
I encourage you to stare at your diplomas, whatever form they may take in your life. Chant “faith it ‘til you make it” on the stair master. Breathe it in and out during your mediation practice or prayer time.
The important thing to remember is that it’s unlikely you would have made it this far as an impostor. More than likely, it was you.
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