Checklist: 8 Signs That You Work Better Than It Seems

alexander savina

The feeling that you do not deserve your own success, and all the people around are simply mistaken about your account and some day they will surely reveal that you are not representing yourself, also known as the impostor syndrome, is familiar to many. It can occur for a variety of reasons - for example, cultural settings for women are required to be modest and not tell about their successes. In addition, many still live with the certainty that criticism is useful, but if you “praise” a person, he, on the contrary, will “relax” and will not achieve any results.

It is not surprising that many of us often doubt our success: it seems that it is impossible to understand whether we are coping with what we do — it’s not always possible to get feedback. But fears do not necessarily turn out to be reality. We tell how to understand that you actually do a good job with your work - even if you don’t think so at all.

You allocate time well

Let's be honest: the problems with time management sometimes occur even among those who have everything fine in the rest of the working moments (which, of course, does not mean that you need to relax and stop trying to do everything on time). But if you often have time to do everything on time, it says about professionalism: you at least have learned how to distribute tasks according to the level of complexity and urgency, and also imagine how long it will take for a particular business. The ability to clearly calculate the time and allocate resources will definitely come in handy in your career - if you do not have it yet, it's time to start working on it.

Colleagues ask you for advice

A sure sign that you understand a topic or a problem — people around you ask for your opinion or consult on issues that they think you understand more. Or, for example, your name is to give lectures or train other employees - this means that, most likely, you have gained some experience and are ready to share it with others, with those who need it. Do not forget that one person cannot know everything, so if you are unable to answer a question from a colleague on the move, this is not necessarily a sign that you are incompetent. The main thing is to strive for new knowledge, to soberly evaluate the gaps in the existing ones and to understand exactly where the necessary answers should be sought - the notorious “ability to learn” has not been canceled.

You take on difficult projects

A common advice for those who want to assess their own progress is to compare themselves not with others, but with themselves in the recent past. In a situation where, it seems, it is impossible to figure out whether you are coping with your work duties at a sufficient level, remember how you worked when you only took a new position or occupied your current position. Most likely, everything has changed since then: you take on more complex tasks and projects, learn new things and feel more confident in matters that have become routine - or at least strive for it. If you feel that you are developing, and invest in it one hundred percent, there should be no reason to worry.

You set big goals

Of course, this does not mean that you should know the answer to the classic question of all interviews “Where do you see yourself in five years?”. But to imagine what you would like to do in the future and what career path you need will not harm anyone. True, in order for the quality of work to be high, simply presenting the desired is not enough — an action plan is needed, as well as a desire to follow it. If you know where you are going, why do you need your current job and what do you want to accomplish with the help of your current position, most likely you are fine.

You give opinions at meetings

Many are formally referred to meetings and working meetings (it’s not for nothing that there are so many memes) - although this is a good way to evaluate the work of a unit, think about new tasks and solve urgent problems. If you take the meetings seriously and use them not just to sit on the phone, but listen carefully and express your ideas, most likely you don’t waste your time - and therefore, work as your colleagues would like. And if the ideas that you express in the general discussion, put into practice or at least listen to them, you probably have fewer reasons to be nervous about the quality of work than it seems.

If you are not satisfied with something, this is taken carefully.

Even in the work of a dream there can be moments that will not suit you and which you want to change. This does not necessarily mean that the work does not suit you or that you do not fit this company: the only question is whether you have the opportunity to declare that something does not suit you, and how they react to it. If the words that you do not like something, are attentive - it means that the company is worried about you, and you are in the right place.

You are immersed in work

Naturally, no one in the world can work eight hours without a break, without being distracted or interrupted for anything. It is unlikely among those who read this text, there are those who have never thought about a better distribution of time, did not struggle with procrastination, or simply did not face difficult days when work does not go. The main thing is that boredom and procrastination should not become the norm. If you are able to immerse yourself in work for a long time, do business without being distracted by anything else, are attentive and try to fulfill your duties with high quality, it means that your business is going well. It is good to do a job through force when you are very bored, it turns out not at all - but when it is interesting and important for you what you do, time flies by.

You are independent

The longer you work, the more you understand how the processes in the company are built and you feel freer and more independent. Most likely, if you have been working at this place for a long time, the manager no longer controls you every minute (as often happens at the very beginning) and gives you more freedom. Perhaps you can choose the projects you will work on yourself, or you know what it is worth doing, even when there is a lull in business and there are no urgent tasks, or you guess what else it is worth doing to cope with the task better. In general, there are many options - it is important that you feel much more comfortable than in the first days, and you can do more. It must be remembered that the feeling of freedom should not overshadow responsibility - the main thing is not only to prove oneself, but also the general result.

Photo: MoMA (1, 2), dvoevnore - stock.adobe.com, pixelrobot - stock.adobe.com