I talked to my editor this week about the normal: the fear of the existence of Impostor Syndrome between the upcoming story, the future of the podcast, and the extreme change of a year and a half. The last bit took up most of the conversation. Go to the picture! Our conversation was helpful because it puts pressure on words that often sit in the middle of the line and weighs the little things that are hidden within years of epidemic size.
Don’t worry, I won’t bother you with my thoughts, but I’ll come up with a few lessons that I think startups apply widely to weekly readers because based on your clicks, I know you have tips (and a sincere one, that):
- Weakness is everything. Weakness was in the front and center in the first inning of the epidemic, where we were all brought to each other’s living room and home office and backyard by zooming in. That feeling has faded a bit as we adapt more to the distributed work, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to find ways to weaken each other. Let your voice get in the way, even in moments where it’s easy to stay calm, because at the end of it you’ll feel closer.
- Give yourself grace. The epidemic is confusing, unbalanced and has brought a lot of damage too many people. If you think you’re working on something less than 100% right now, remember that you’re working at a time when the world thinks it’s relying on a fried light bulb for guidance. Before you become hard on yourself for not being productive, think about where your productivity values are coming from and if they are fair in the first place.
- Your problems are not unique. Although we are all diverse, delicate individuals, we are not alone in what we make people. Everyone thinks extra, everyone searches the soul; everyone has personal and professional insecurities that bubble up in obvious ways. Believing that your problems are not entirely unique, I think you will find yourself more in control of the turmoil. Which brings me to my next point?
Take what you want from the advice above (or check out these tips from a fellow entrepreneur), but I think it all depends on the belief that we should be human first and put the job role second. This is truly (still) an unprecedented time in this world and the end of the stigma of mental health, in general, is a worthwhile goal.
