I've consistently wrestled with overthinking, which has frequently acted as a roadblock in my life. Following the guidance of Maverick, I've finally decided to embark on my blogging journey after months of endless contemplation and countless excuses not to put my thoughts into writing.
Today, I'm eager to share my personal journey: how I managed to overcome my imposter syndrome (at least temporarily 😅) and the humble beginnings of my adventure.
Backstory
It all started before the summer of my Sophomore Year, shortly after completing a semester-long project where I developed an In-patient Department (IPD) management system using Flask. My project took significantly more time to develop compared to my peers' work. At the time, I found myself struggling to grasp key concepts such as:
How HTTP requests and responses functioned.
The intricacies of authentication and authorization.
And let's not even mention my less-than-impressive CSS skills.
I couldn't help but admire my classmates who seemed to breeze through their projects effortlessly. I viewed their projects and their creators with the same awe that people reserve for Gilfoyle from Silicon Valley.
As I delved deeper into the world of web frameworks, I quickly realized that my peers used a framework called Django which accelerated their development. So, I set my sights on mastering the Django framework during the upcoming summer break.
FOMO Igniting my Learning Journey
During the following summers, alongside my other planned activities, I immersed myself in Django. I completed several courses and built various projects along the way.
One of the great resources worth mentioning is a course that taught me quite a lot Build a Backend REST API with Python & Django - Advanced (not sponsored). It not only taught me about test-driven development (TDD), but also introduced me to Docker, containerization, and the intricacies of production environments.
My First Break
Luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation - Seneca
Fast forward a few months, one of my friends, who was working part-time as a Django Developer, found a new job and asked if anyone wanted to take his place. I seized the opportunity and secured my first job as a Django Developer.
In the initial weeks, I felt overwhelmed by the scope of the project and the fact that it was used by thousands of users daily. I didn't want to be the junior dev who broke the production. Whenever doubt crept in, one of my friends would remind me:
Fake it till you make it
That's precisely what I did for the next few months. My confidence grew as:
I successfully deployed features to production, serving thousands of users.
My data migration scripts executed flawlessly, without disrupting production (my biggest fear at the time).
I played a role in onboarding significant clients for the company.
Conclusion
Reflecting on this journey, I find it quite intriguing. Many of you may be in a similar place to where I once was, battling imposter syndrome, wrestling with overthinking, and confronting various challenges. So, trust me when I say, "Don't think, just do". Keep grinding, one step at a time, and have faith in the process. You will reach your goals, and don't forget to savor every step of the journey.
As I continue down this exciting path of blogging, my goal is to inspire others facing similar challenges. If I can help even a single person out there, that's a victory for me.