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#9: You're a fraud 🎭
Shem Opolot
March 03, 2023
Happy Friday! 🎉 This week’s post comes to you (later than usual) LIVE from a different time zone. I flew from Entebbe to New Jersey, USA with my son and that experience left me exhausted, grateful, and a little sad. I’ll write about the travel experience on my blog soon if you want to laugh, cry, or consider using birth control.
Quick one: Last week, I got blue-ticked like a suitor who can’t get the point, so—like the suitor—I’ll try again until I get sufficient feedback:
Leave a review so I can give those standing outside the gate FOMO
In case you’re curious, about 128 people read this newsletter every week 🤯.
Thank you for the validation that’s dangerous to rely on, but still nice to see 😊.
Okay, let's get into it 🚀
🧹 But first, some housekeeping…
Last week’s post if you missed it.
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💡 1 thing I've learned this week
Imposter syndrome
Am I pulling my weight?
Am I good or am I just lucky?
Are people going to find out I’m a fraud?
If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions before, you’ve likely encountered imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome involves unfounded feelings of self-doubt and incompetence, with the sufferer often afraid they might be outed as a fraud.
What causes imposter syndrome?
Several things:
Upbringing: your parents were overly critical, constantly compared you to your siblings, praised you for your natural intelligence, etc. So basically every African parent ever
New challenges: getting a new job can trigger thoughts of inadequacy
Bias: gender and racial biases like those implicit in the gender or wage gaps
How can you fight imposter syndrome?
Challenge your thoughts and feelings: ask yourself if your feelings can be supported by facts and find evidence to demonstrate your competence
Talk about it: acknowledge your feelings and talk to a friend about them. A problem shared is a problem halved
Build connections: sometimes you just need help, so ask for it. Delegate if possible
Don’t compare yourself to others: It’s hard not to compare yourself to others, but a good trick I learned is to reframe your “Why can’t I have what they have?” feelings from a competitor— “I’m not like you“ to an expander — “I can be like you, too”
Know that it happens to the best of us: Most successful people claim to experience imposter syndrome. In fact, apparently, you should be concerned if you’re immune
But there are some advantages to these crippling feelings of self-doubt 💡:
The reason you feel imposter syndrome is because the challenge you’re facing exceeds the skills you have at the time.
The brain is a big suggestion engine, so we can often make great changes by reframing our outlook.
From “I have to do X” to “I get to do X”.
🔌 Shameless plug
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🙏🏾 1 thing I'm grateful for
My tweet went viral serendipitously and brought lots of new subscribers to this newsletter 😎. (Hi guys 👋🏾)
🚀 Pro-tip
When you’re running out of space in your Google Drive…
Thousands of screenshots you said you’d revisit later and your Google Drive space is almost full.
But never fear, The Friday Fix is here…
…because like your ex, you need some space.
A little-known method for saving space on Google Drive is to transfer ownership of files to their rightful owners:
Step 1: Select the file
Step 2: Share the file with the rightful owner and make them an “Editor”
Step 3: Return to the “Share” menu and “Transfer ownership” to the rightful owner
The “rightful owner” will receive an invitation of ownership and as long as they accept it, the ownership (and the file space) will be transferred to them
The icon adjacent to the file will change in your Drive
If you’d like to watch a more long-form demo, here it is.
🧩 Games
Riddle
Brought to you by Braingle
What phrase is represented by the following?
ESELF<
N
O
^
^
P
A
I
N
T
Answer below
🔥 What's hot
Latest YouTube video
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🚩 Clickbait
👶🏾 This 11-year-old artist is making millions; consider this exposure therapy for your imposter syndrome
🍊 Apparently, you should peel an orange in the shower
🙃 Upside-down text generator: ʇᴉ pǝǝu ʇɥɓᴉɯ noʎ uǝɥʍ ʍouʞ ɹǝʌǝu
🧮 An Excel formula generator: my own reckoning with imposter syndrome
❓Riddle answer
Answer: paint oneself into a corner
Have a great weekend,
— Shem
💞 Reviews
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I like that the Friday Fix is about this and that. It's interesting
yet informative. Definitely one of my highlights on Fridays.
100% would recommend.
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