Definition and Understanding
Impostor syndrome:
1.)the inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or earned through effort or skill
2.)the inability to conceive that one may be able to achieve a goal due to lacking required skill or ability to learn required skill
Often this feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt can creep up on us from out of nowhere. Leaving us questioning everything we have learned or accomplished. This can lead to what many refer to as the wall of doubt.
The Wall of Doubt (A.K.A Wall of Worry):
1.)the persistent fear of moving forward due to an increasing number of concerns or doubts about possible outcomes that are less than ideal.
One must try to get ahead of it and stay there to help prevent it from taking root. Unfortunately for many, that requires a knowledge of the subject that is hard to get without experiencing it first hand. This article aims to help lend some understanding towards alleviating that need.
My Experience
To clarify a little, this is often a very misunderstood concept and is completely unknown to many. During my time as a Slack moderator for Team Treehouse, I worked with a large number of students,(I enjoyed that a lot!). Most had no idea that many people experience this phenomenon, that it is not unique to them. They took it at face value, not realizing there was more to it, such as ways to combat its effect. I have experienced this very same thing on more than one occasion, many even!
The first time I encountered this sensation, I was progressing through the Team Treehouse FEWD Techdegree Program. I did not know what to do with it or myself, but I was not alone. The Techdegree program came with the bonus of a dedicated Slack group for the students progressing through the program. Knowing that I was not alone in this dreadful feeling was in itself a huge relief! The help I received had a massive impact on my ability to remain determined and complete the program. The moderators at Treehouse stepped in and did what I aim to do today, offer advice on how to combat it, which we will discuss next.
First, I would like to share what helped me the most through the program. In my case, one thing that helped was talking about it with others. As I discussed my concerns, I sometimes found holes in the logic behind my fears. For me, even now, that is often all it takes to get in front of it.
Much like the wall of doubt, it takes one doubt to cause our minds to run rampant. One doubt leads to two, then four, and on and on like stacking bricks until facing a seemingly insurmountable wall. Being able to remove a single “brick of doubt” from my wall is often enough to start the same effect but in reverse. Something else that proved helpful was being able to see how my solutions compared to more experienced developers. If nothing else, this helped me solidify the gap between our skills in a semi-tangible way. In my experience, the best way to stay ahead of Impostor Syndrome is to dispel its illusion.
Combating Impostor Syndrome
The process for combating Impostor Syndrome will not be the same for everyone, but the general idea applies with minor tweaks to it based on your own needs. My methodology will be a little different than most in sharing this advice.
Many individuals have taken steps to develop a successful process and share it with others. With this in mind, I thought it might be more advantageous to share my experience with a collection of resources instead of suggesting a rigid set of steps. Hopefully, this will help you develop a process without a predetermined way of thinking. Now onto the resources!
Resources on combating Impostor syndrome and self-doubt:
Lindsay Kolowich Cox:(Article)
There are many more articles like these online, many with different tips. I encourage you to look around and decide for yourself which concepts will be the most helpful to you. If you found this article helpful, feel free to comment, share and give a clap.
