self. > all — Beginner’s guide to Imposter Syndrome
“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often an illusion.” — Michael J. Jordan
Arguably the greatest to ever grace a basketball court, Michael Jordan was no stranger to feeling pressure. That pressure for some however often leads to self-doubt and even worse, the notion that you don’t belong. Whether it’s learning a new language for the first time or trying out mom’s secret recipe this slippery-slope can derail many from creating some magical things or doing something once thought impossible. Unfortunately.. but rather, fortunately, there’s a term for this. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you, imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome — the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.

After a month and change of being a student in a coding bootcamp, it suffices to say I feel like the ultimate imposter. Every bone in my body and neuron in my brain is cringing and firing off warning signs emanating “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! GET OUT!”

The struggle has been too real for me since deciding to learn how to code and each morning that I walk into my school I have some angst on what to expect. It’s like I go to sleep feeling like Mark Zuckerberg and wake up feeling like Jesse Eisenberg. To break this habit, I started to take myself and my day to day operations seriously and understand the key attributes needed to beat this imposter syndrome.

Here are a few things I remind myself of:
- STOP COMPARING YOUR SUCCESS TO OTHERS
- You were born an original, don’t die a copy! It’s OK to acknowledge (and appreciate) the success of your peers but it’s NOT OK to constantly compare it to yours. We’re all built uniquely with our own little quirks so it goes without saying that we learn and grow at different rates. Whether it takes you 2 hours, 2 days, or 2 months to grasp something give yourself credit for taking on (and conquering) that challenge. Period.
2. MAKE A PLAN W/ PERKS
- I try to start every morning with a plan on how to conquer my day of code. I’ll be honest, I don’t always stick to the plan but it does give me a blueprint on how my day should look. It allows me to schedule well-deserved breaks for socializing and eating which seem to be collateral damage since I started coding bootcamp but also keep pace and focus on critical labs and lectures will make me a better developer.
3. KEEP GOING!
- There have been and will continue to be days where I’d look around and say “Forget it, I’m done. I’ll just do nothing for the rest of my life.” No easy way around this one because it’s a common feeling and it’ll persist.. if you let it. Feelings are dynamic and can change with action and the more that’s committed to action the fewer feelings are involved. This is the most important attribute in my opinion simply because it’s proven. We wouldn’t have 95% of the things we have if it weren’t for people (once beginners like me) who thought otherwise.

Just remember, you got this. You wouldn’t be where you were if you didn’t.
