Dealing With Impostor Syndrome

"You're not good enough", "you lack adequate knowledge to teach these kids", "Nigerians speak bad English", "how would you cope?" -these thoughts ran effortlessly through my head whenever I tried to chart a course for my new engagement.

I recently volunteered to teach some London-based kids the rudiments of web development. You would expect me to feel elated about this, I wasn't. Rather I suddenly felt unfit and inadequate for the task. At that moment, I knew it was here again  -  the impostor syndrome.

What is Impostor Syndrome?

It is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubt their skills, talent or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. In a simple term, it is the feeling of not belonging and the idea that you have succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications.

How to manage Impostor Syndrome:

The journey of managing impostor syndrome is a thousand-mile that begins with a step. Impostor syndrome isn't something that can be managed immediately, it is a gradual process. There is the "Flywheel Effect" which maintains that anything we do, any effort we put in a venture, a creative process or code is not a waste. It might feel like we're not making progress but that's not the case. Each attempt we make brings us closer to our goal. Hence, be proud of your little progress and do not give impostors syndrome a chance. Here are ways impostor syndrome can be managed:

Take a break: life isn't always going to go according to the plans we have in our head. Good things and bad things happen. When the bad things happen it is okay to take a break. Go visit friends, see a favourite movie, have fun; then come back to the code or whatever you were doing. Get yourself a support system: when imposters syndrome sets in, it is necessary to have a group of people or friends who you can talk to. People who are positive and will always try to cheer you up when you're down. Surround yourself with friends with whom you can grow together and mentors who are ready to help.

Never compare yourself with anyone: No two human being is going to live life the same way. This can be hard because I know some situations will arise where you can't help it but please try not to. Just like we all have different faces, we all have a different journey. Comparing yourself with your fellow developer or friend has no advantage, it only wastes your time, ruins your chances of learning from such person, ruins the relationship and takes away your joy.

Think positively: always try as much as possible to have positive thoughts. How can you go about this? Personally, I write positive or motivational quotes on sticky notes and I paste them on the walls in my bedroom. So whenever I wake up, I'm waking up to an inspiring message or a bible text that talks about how beautifully and wonderfully made I am or how God has good plans for me.

Develop a healthy response to failure: instead of beating yourself up for falling short, move on, reminding yourself that you're going get it in no time. After all, Henry Ford said " failure is the only way to begin again more intelligently".

All in all, know that there's no growth without sacrifice. Find your voice/path/stack and grow little by little. Have fun, learn to love code, learn to love your craft, be proud of your progress and remember that there's no better you, than the you that you are and watch yourself rise to the peak of your career.