To be yourself in a world that is trying to make you something else is a great accomplishment. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Often times, I think I take my technical skill entirely for granted. I forget that the things I build “for fun” or “for pay” can’t be done by a lot of people. I don’t mean that as an egotistical thing, because I’m certainly surrounded by a lot of people who are smarter than I am. I just need to remind myself that I’ve worked very hard to hone a skill and some times I take it for granted.

One of the struggles, I’ve recently been trying to get better about, as a developer, is thinking things like, “nobody could possibly get use out of it being this simple. It has to do more.” At this point in my career, I’ve started to realize that as long as it does something, it’s probably better than what someone has. Especially in the business world.

Sometimes when I build simple little tools all my mind can think is, “They’re all going to laugh at you for the lack of features and how dumb this is.” When in reality it could be the exact opposite. Apparently, this is actually a psychological phenomenon that many people, including myself, struggle with on a day-to-day basis. It’s known as “imposter syndrome.” And what it means is that people are often unable to internalize their own accomplishments.

I need to get better at realizing my own accomplishments, as well as helping others realize theirs. Just build things and show people. Don’t pay attention to people who try to hate on things you do. They’re not worth the effort. Just do you. Be happy. Build things. Move ahead. Surround yourself with people who want to do the same. The rest will fall in place.