If you’re familiar with feeling like a ‘fraud’, it might be helpful to consider your imposter syndrome ‘competence type.’

Do you doubt your achievements, and fear that you’ll be ‘found out’? Chances are you have a bit of imposter syndrome - and you're not alone. It’s estimated that at up to 70% of people possess some form of imposter syndrome, which is the idea that you might not deserve everything that you have right now.

If this sounds familiar then it might be helpful to consider what type of imposter you are so you can rid yourself of the shame and fraudulence you feel when you fall short.

Dr Valerie Young, an author and expert on the topic, has categorised imposter syndrome into 5 different subgroups: The Perfectionist, The Superwoman/Man, The Expert, The Soloist and The Natural Genius.

Through her research, Young discovered that not all ‘imposters’ define competence in the same way. She uncovered 5 ‘competence types’ - or internal rules that people who struggle with confidence attempt to follow.

Below is a summary of the competence types. You may recognise parts of yourself in several of them. Typically, though, you’ll have one dominant type.

Once you have a better understanding of what you’re up against, the next step is to swap your old, unreasonable rules for the new rules you’ll receive here.

The Perfectionist

You set extremely high standards for yourself and beat yourself up when you don't reach them.

For the perfectionist, there is a single focus, and that is how something is done. You believe you should deliver a perfect performance 100% of the time. When you fail to measure up to these unrealistically high standards, it only confirms your feelings of impostorism. The drive for perfection and the fear of failure can leave you deliberating over minor details, either procrastinating or overworking.

Affirmations for The Perfectionist:

Perfectionism inhibits success
Sometimes good is good enough
Not everything deserves 100%

2. The Superwoman/Man

You feel you should be able to excel at every role you take on in your life.

For the Superwoman/Man competence rests on the ability to juggle multiple roles masterfully. You believe you can do it all and are unable to say 'no' even if you're struggling to keep up with everything. For you, competence has as much to do with how many things you can handle as it does how well you do them. You tell yourself, ‘If I were really competent, I would be able to do it all.’

Affirmations for the Superwoman/Man:

It’s okay to say no
Delegating frees me and gives others the chance to participate
When I slow down and cut out unnecessary tasks, I get to focus on activities that really matter

3. The Expert

You expect to know everything and feel ashamed when you don't.

For the Expert, your primary concern is how much knowledge or skill you possess – and as far as you’re concerned, you can never have enough. You believe that there must be a certain threshold of experience needed to be considered successful or competent (rather than learning as you go). Your self-talk sounds like: ‘If I were really smart, I would understand and remember everything I read.’ Or ‘Before I can put myself out there, I need in-depth education, training and experience.’

Affirmations for the Expert:

There is no end to knowledge
There are many paths to expertise
Even when I don’t know something I can still project confidence

4. The Soloist

You believe work must be accomplished alone and refuse to take credit if you received any kind of assistance.

As a Soloist, you mostly care about 'who completes the task', and you typically turn down help to prove your worth as an individual. In your mind, the only achievements that really count are those you reached all on your own. The misguided thinking here is, ‘If I were really competent, I could do everything myself.’

Affirmations for The Soloist:

Competent people know how to ask for what they need
Smart people seek out people who know more than they do
My work does not have to be groundbreaking to be good

5. The Natural Genius

You tell yourself that everything must be handled with ease, otherwise it's not 'natural talent'.

For the Natural Genius, true competence means having inherent intelligence and ability. Since intelligence and ability are seen as innate, the thinking here is that success should be effortless. You strive to master any new skill with little effort and believe that if you have to work hard at something then you must not be very good at it. You think, ‘If I were a real writer, it wouldn’t be this hard’

Affirmations for The Natural Genius:

Real success always takes time
Challenges are often opportunities in disguise
Effort trumps ability

Abby Rawlinson is a British integrative therapist, coach, author, speaker, and influential content creator.

She offers 1:1 online coaching sessions to clients worldwide, helping them address issues such as stress, anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, imposter syndrome, procrastination, and low self-esteem.

Find out more here.