Do you ever look at a project or a job listing or even just a tutorial and think,
What have I been doing the last few years?
Do I know anything?
Did I retain a thing I learned?
That is me, almost every time I apply for a job and was definitely me as I looked over the projects listed for this class. I thought to myself about the requirements first and made sure to not bite off more than I can chew, but then the one’s that didn’t have the requirements listed even sounded like too much.
How can I do this?
The doubt that lives in my head is something I have dealt with most of my life. I am a person who on the outside pumps others up, helps people reach their goals, and makes sure that people are in good spirits. That does not, however, roll into my personal thoughts and processes. It is a case of do as I say not as I do.
I have worked with these thoughts over the last few years and want to share any helpful thoughts that I have come across to hopefully make these thoughts a little quieter in your head as well.
My brain isn’t always right.
This is one that took a long time for me to understand but was an a-ha moment when I first understood it. I have been a person that has relied on quick wit and fast thinking and problem solving to get to where I am in life. That thought process also lead to me not considering what thoughts I have as much as others. In an improv situation that is fantastic, most other situations, less than ideal. Taking a beat and considering your thoughts about imposter syndrome is a good exercise. I like to focus on what I have done in the past, how far I have come, and how quickly I pick up other things I try to help refocus my thoughts on what to do next rather than what I don’t know now.
You will never be fully ready.
This is a thought that has stuck in my head but I rarely act upon. It is something that takes a lot of self compassion and understanding. Knowing ahead of time you will not know how to do something makes it less daunting and helps to understand that not being ready is part of the process.
All problems are legos.
This is one I will literally tattoo on my arm one day. Every large problem is like a lego set. You see the grand finished product, think the death star. Four boxes, three hours per box, hundreds of instructions, and quite daunting when it is all built. But, if you take a step back. Each piece you add is so small that if you focus on the piece in front of you rather than the whole product it seems more doable and your brain can handle each step individually rather than the whole incomprehensible project.
I am by no means an expert, which is why I think this blog post is helpful. No one has the answers but as someone who has dealt with these issues I have experienced and continue to experience these feelings. Whether this blog only helps me by getting it out on paper or helps anyone who read it by giving them a new headspace to enter I know this will do some good out in the world.
Best of luck on your projects and don’t forget, sometimes your brain is dumb.
And that’s okay.
