The Imposter

Most people think imposter syndrome looks like someone hiding in the corner, paralyzed by self-doubt.

In my experience, it almost never looks like that. It looks like the person who over-prepares for every meeting. The one who stays late perfecting a deck that was already good enough two hours ago. The one who researches every possible question — just in case.

From the outside, that looks like excellence. From the inside, it’s a treadmill. Because the over-preparation isn’t about quality. It’s about fear that if you stop running, the mask slips.

What does your imposter make you over-do?