Doing what you love means no more impostor syndrome


#BlAugust Continues strong! Creating a habit of writing is something I need to work on both professionally and personally, so this challenge is definitely useful to me. Thank you Shelli!

MTBOSBlaugust2016

Wow, I have earned my second Star of the Week from Meg Craig! Awesome!

Stars of The Week

As I was getting ready this morning, I had a thought. (Hey, you. In the peanut gallery, pipe down. 🙂 )

Yes, I had a thought. I realized that over the last 4 weeks, I had not once asked myself the question of whether I am the “right person for the job” when it comes to building the Knowing and Learning course.

Not once.

I was presented with the challenge, I said yes, and I just went to work on it. No questions asked.

It is a huge amount of work. I have 30 books checked out of the library, and I have a folder with around 70 articles in it right now. I have read them all, and have re-read them as I am building daily questions, and working on how the structure and flow of the class.

But not once have I sat there wondering “are they crazy for asking me to do this?”

I asked myself that a lot when I was in business. I asked, “Am I the right person for this? Am I capable?”

That impostor syndrome is so deadly. I have asked myself that a couple of time times as I have been working on the PhD. I got over it quickly, but I still wondered.

Not once about this.

And I realized something. It is because I love this. I love the philosophy and the thinking. I love the teaching and the maths. I am doing something I love.

Thanks Christopher. You were absolutely right.

Every day when I pick up my phone, his words ring through to me.

2015-09-30 13.08.00

Find what you love. Do more of it.* He said “that” but I was character limited, so I shortened it to “it.”

A daily reminder. Do more.

When you are doing what you love, you KNOW you are the right person. You may not always know how to accomplish the goals, you may not know everything you need to know, but you know that you are the person to learn those things and do those things you need.

No question about it.

This was a great thought to have today. It is my 47th birthday.

 


*If you want to watch the video of his speech at TMC15, the video is available on Youtube. It is in two parts, “Math from the Heart.”


5 responses to “Doing what you love means no more impostor syndrome”

  1. So many thoughts…

    First off, Happy Birthday to you!!! Secondly, thank you for participating in Blaugust! I’m so glad that people are willing to join in and it pushes me to do a better job of reflecting. I really hope I can keep it up after school starts. Finally, thank you for sharing your experiences with Imposter Syndrome and I love your phone case. I am so glad you found what you love!

  2. Shelli, Thank you! That actually isn’t my phone case, it is my phone! The quote is laser etched into the phone itself. That is commitment right there.

  3. (Reposting from an internet glitchy day yesterday)
    Hey, happy birthday! And congrats on rising to meet the challenge of a new course! I must admit though, I feel a bit less certain about that assertion that impostor syndrome goes away because you love what you’re doing. Some of the things I love doing, I still wonder if I do them right. Could it be that another part is the fact that you were asked? Which shows that other people believed in what you’re doing too… and finally instead of questioning their belief, you’ve believed in yourself. Whereas someone doing what they love, without the external encouragement, can still make one wonder internally – am I really the right one to do it. Maybe?

    I don’t know… maybe there’s different thresholds. Maybe there’s some joy in not knowing too. Anyway, hope that’s not taken as an attack on the lovely thought, but more an extra piece to think about. Have a great day – I wonder if you watch the Perseid Meteors much, given the match with your date of birth!

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