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Athletes often observe that each time they advance to the next level of competition, the game "speeds up." The leap from high school to college ball is a significant one. Players are bigger, faster, stronger, and the game moves at a more rapid pace. The transition from college to pro is even more drastic, as things start to move at a dizzying speed.

As a young lawyer who is now fully engaged in the practice of law, you've just turned pro. While there were smart, insightful people in your law school class, this is an entirely different level. The competitive academic playing field is nothing compared to the professional one you're now playing on. At times you'll feel like you don't belong, like you don't know what you're doing. But keep the faith. You've almost certainly experienced similar discomfort before, and you overcame it. And you can do it again.

What Causes Imposter Syndrome?

You'll soon hear, if you haven't heard already, a voice inside your head that tells you that you're not good enough. It typically creeps in as soon as you step out of your comfort zone—when you take on a difficult assignment or begin preparing for your first oral argument. The voice whispers warnings that you don't belong, that you don't deserve it and that you're a fraud.

At the same time that the voice cuts you down, it also builds others up. It tells you that those around you are smarter, better and more talented than you are and that they have it all figured out. If you listen to the voice, you end up staying safely within your comfort zone and stop taking risks. Your forward momentum stalls. Your confidence wanes. You start to question your judgment. When the voice gets really loud, it engenders fear that is paralyzing.

Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes call this type of fear "imposter syndrome." They describe it as a feeling of "phoniness in people who [fear they] are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement." They "live in fear of being 'found out' or exposed as frauds."

If you've ever stepped in front of a podium to address an audience or been promoted to a job that you're not sure you can handle, then you've likely felt like an imposter. After I wrote my first book, I had to constantly push back doubts about why anyone would be interested in reading what I had to say. As a young lawyer, I frequently felt like I was in over my head from the trial-by-fire experience.

Feelings of inadequacy or incompetence don't just affect people in a professional setting. We all feel like imposters from time to time in our personal lives as well. For example, virtually all first-time parents question why anyone would consider them qualified to take their child home from the hospital.

Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

One of the best ways to overcome imposter syndrome and exhibit more resilience in the face of challenges is to cultivate a "growth mindset" rather than a "fixed mindset"—a distinction popularized by the work of psychologist Carol Dweck.

Dweck explains that those who have "fixed mindsets" believe that their character, intelligence and creative ability are static and immutable and that they have little control over outcomes in their lives as a result. Put another way, and to contextualize this concept for lawyers, associates with fixed mindsets who don't consider themselves to be good litigators now, do not believe they can become effective ones in the future.

A "growth mindset," on the other hand, is one that is motivated by challenges and sees failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Those with growth mindsets believe they can get better through experience.

As a young lawyer, you'll be given assignments that seem extremely daunting at first—legal research with no clear answer, a brief you perceive as impossibly complex. When this happens, you'll likely feel like an imposter. You'll doubt your ability to get the job done. But you will get it done. It may not be perfect, but you'll learn from the experience, and you'll use what you learned to do a better job next time. And so on. A growth mindset allows you to act in the moment and not be paralyzed by fear. It's the key to understanding that you're someone who is capable of consistent growth, and not merely an imposter who's bound to be found out for their shortcomings.

Another important step in overcoming imposter syndrome is realizing that we are all imposters. No one knows what he or she is doing most of the time. For people who routinely step out of their comfort zones, uncertainty is a constant. This is true for young lawyers as well as titans of industry. In an interview with The New York Times, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said: "Very few people, whether you've been in that job before or not, get into the seat and believe today that they are now qualified to be the CEO. They're not going to tell you that, but it's true."

So peer down the halls of your office. Look into the eyes of your colleagues. Talk to people. Almost everyone feels like an imposter to some extent. As screenwriter William Goldman once said: "Nobody knows anything." If you can come to grips with the fact that those around you are feeling the same sense of unease and anxiety that you are, then pushing through the uncertainty becomes easier. Instead of succumbing to self doubt, embrace it.

Take on new challenges. Remain confident. Seek help when you need it. Learn from your mistakes. There's no other way to exhibit resilience and overcome imposter syndrome as a lawyer. All successful people have to "fake it 'til they make it" at some point, so keep moving forward. Like Howard Schultz explained, you'll probably never stop doubting yourself, so you might as well get used to the feeling and use it as fuel to perform at your highest potential.

Jay Harrington is an executive coach and trainer for lawyers and law firms and is the author of the new book, "The Essential Associate: Step Up, Stand Out, and Rise to the Top as a Young Lawyer." He is the owner of Harrington Communications and is associated with Simier Partners. Contact him at [email protected].