Three books that helped me manage my imposter syndrome

These books were the books I kept close, and would reread multiple times.

1. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
   First published in 1960, the book is about how everyone has a mental portrait in which they view themselves, called self-image. This image of ourselves we held in our own minds apparently contribute a lot to how we act and how we respond to things. Getting older has made me realize that no one else around me has the time to constantly judge me but my own self (and I’ve been pretty generous at that too). This book helped me quit overthinking and being too judgmental towards my own work (or the fact that I’d forever be on a beginner level as a scholar) and instead, focus on the image I constantly view of myself.
2. SPIKE by Rene Carayol
   If there is ever book I’d call a favorite, it’d always be this one in particular. Unlike Dr. Maltz’s book earlier, SPIKE doesn’t come with practical exercises. SPIKE stands for Strengths Positively Identified Kick-start Excellence. The book talks about the idea of how every individual has different strengths, and it provides real-life examples of those who have managed to discover their own spikes and succeeded by living each day of their lives through it. What I love most about this concept is how it puts away the idea of competition, but putting forward the notion that everyone is succeeding based on what their natural strengths are. It made me accept myself better, and I felt less of an imposter, but more of an individual willing to learn about what I may not be naturally good at, while being confident at leveraging the benefits from the things I can do with my eyes closed.
3. So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
   The book reminds me that in order for me to be good at anything, requires patience, time, effort and repeated deliberate practice. Whenever I have the thoughts that I’m not good enough, I’d tell myself that I’m still practice mode, and it’s okay to have those thoughts occurring every now and then, as I’m still going to put in more effort for me to be better in time, and be so good I cannot be ignored.

Every individual is different and ones which changed my perspective might not work the same with others. But I’ve found them helpful for me so far and I am glad I’ve stumbled upon them. Their importance in changing the way I think of myself might have expanded from their initial purpose, as they’ve served me more than the reason why I bought them in the first place. I hope you’ll find them just as useful.