I thought it might be worthwhile to write about something other than programming for a change.
You see, I’m convinced that many of you have “Imposter Syndrome.” It’s relatively easy to develop: just follow people who are hugely successful or really good at something. A few months of watching them, and there you have it.
Nowadays, people are constantly comparing themselves to someone. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable. Don’t get me wrong - having inspiration, gurus, idols, authorities, and so on is important, but in our industry, everyone wants to succeed and constantly chase that rabbit called self-development.
Especially with AI developing so fast, questions arise in our minds, questions I’ve heard many times while traveling and giving presentations, as well as exchanging insights with colleagues in the industry:
<ol>
<li>How to reconcile self-development with numerous personal life responsibilities?</li>
<li>Is there even a chance I’ll manage to hold on for at least another 2 or 3 years to pay off my loans, when everything is changing so quickly?</li>
<li>Don’t you think the IT industry is becoming an industry for single people, who have much more time?</li>
</ol>
Especially that last question surprised me, and I realized how hard it is for parents, or people caring for sick family members. There’s no time, energy, and simply no desire for learning.
How to find that motivation, and not get discouraged by others’ success?
We need to find our own individual method, understand ourselves, and nothing helps us understand ourselves better than good psychotherapy. I recommend it :).
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach; you simply have to find your own, because burnout comes quickly. At first, there’s indifference, skepticism, exhaustion, lack of desire to work, and anger for no reason, and then you can’t write a simple line of code without staring at the screen for 30 minutes.
We need a common-sense approach and a long-term strategy more than ever. Do I have such thoughts? I do. Maybe it’s worth just doing something that allows time for real life, for less money.
But for now, it’s worth trying. How my attempt to get to know myself and choose the right techniques and strategies looked, so as to maintain long-term motivation and not compare myself to others (only to my past self), I describe in the article: <a href="https://4markdown.com/how-to-be-productive-as-a-software-engineer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://4markdown.com/how-to-be-productive-as-a-software-engineer/</a>
Remember, you’re not alone, react quickly enough, and don’t be afraid to go to specialists. Just try, search, and try to not compare yourself to others, find small successes, and exercise regularly.
Also, remember that it’s not as bad as everyone paints it, and not as good either - something in the middle.
I’ll draw inspiration from a comment by a colleague from a meetup - implement “rake development.” Try to be a little good at everything, because that’s what the market demands now, and master one thing that brings you joy.
Good luck, in this burnout-friendly world.
Dawid Perdek thanks for “rake” phrase.

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greenonsoftware

Imposter syndrome is common among those contrasted against highly successful individuals, especially with rapid technological changes. Balancing self-growth and personal responsibilities can be challenging, particularly for parents and caregivers. Psychotherapy is suggested for understanding oneself and mitigating burnout. Achieving success requires finding personalized strategies, concentrating on one's progress rather than others, and maintaining resilience in a dynamic industry environment.

Imposter syndrome in 2025 - you're not alone

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Problem is: 95% is Dunning-Kruger Effect, 5% is Imposter Syndrome.

where’s that work chronicles meme: “i have imposters syndrome” “no, you’re just incompetent!”

I very much relate to this. Constantly feeling inadequate. Received a glowing compliment about my standard of work two days ago and I still don’t feel capable enough.
I think it definitely stems from over-critical parents who pushed me to always do better - even when I got all A’s. Then they wanted to know who else got all A’s. And whether my marks were better than the others. This all stemmed from a teacher disclosing to my parents my IQ after we wrote IQ tests. They got back from that Parent Teachers evening and told me how disappointed they were in me because for someone with such a brain, my marks were very average so I was obviously just lazy.
And to this day (I’m nearly sixty) I always feel that I could have done more if I were not so lazy - in spite of putting in ten to twelve hours every day for which I’m not claiming overtime. It’s just to make sure that every little thing is polished and gleaming.

Great article! This article exposes a reality that a lot of developers are feeling in silence. Most of the time, it comes when overworking to try to keep up expectations or the FOMO, and you start to open too many learning fronts at the same time. It’s crazy when you start jumping to learn from one thing to the next, but your daily tasks are related to other things.
This area requires a lot of time and patience. When your life changes due to family, health, or personal situations, keeping the same speed and workload is impossible.
Finding real help, talking with others in the same situation, and sharing your feelings with a trusted person who can support and help you to continue or find help is the key.
Don’t feel shame for stopping or leaving a job; the market will have an option for you. Don’t worry too much about the future—one day at a time.
Remember, those who died today had plans for tomorrow.