My familiarity with the topic gives me enough confidence to join this challenge!
Write down your own criticism so it no longer feels fresh
Have your criticism read aloud to you by someone else
Argue back to this criticism
Write down your counter-arguments so they stick
Document your own progress
Get testimonials and references even when you don’t “need” them
Praise the competence of other people without adding self-deprecation
Same as above but in their vicinity so they’ll feel compelled to praise you back
Teach the basics of your field to newcomers
Teach the basics of your field to experts from other fields
Write down the basics of your field, for yourself
Ask someone else to make your beverage of choice
Ask them to tell you “you deserve it” when they’re giving it to you
If your instinct is to reply “no I don’t”, consider swapping the roles
Drink your beverage, because it feels nice
Build stuff that cannot possibly be built by chance alone
Stare outside the window, wondering if anybody cares about you
Consider a world where everyone is as insecure as you
Ask friends about their insecurities
Consider you’re too stupid to drink a glass of water, then drink some water
Meditate on the difference between map and territory
Write instructions for the non-impostor version of you
Write instructions for whoever replaces you when people find out you’re an impostor
Validate those instructions with other experts, passing it off as project planning
Follow the instructions to keep the masquerade on
Refine the instructions since they’re “obviously” not perfect
Publish the whole thing here, get loads of karma
Document everything you don’t know for reference
Publish the thing as a list of open problems
Criticize harshly other people’s work to see how they take it
Make amends by letting them criticize you
Use all this bitterness to create a legendary academic rivalry
Consider “impostor” as a cheap rhetorical attack that doesn’t hold up
Become very good at explaining why other people are better than you
Publish the whole thing as in-depth reporting of the life of scientists
Focus on your deadline, time doesn’t care if you’re an impostor or not
Make yourself lunch, balance on one foot, solve a sudoku puzzle
Meditate on the fact you actually can do several complex things well
Consider that competence is not about knowing exactly how one does things
Have motivational pictures near you and argue how they don’t apply to you
Consider the absurdity of arguing with pictures
Do interesting things instead, not because you have to, but to evade the absurdity
Practice the “I have no idea what I’m doing, but no one does” stance
Ask people why they think they know how they do things
If they start experimenting impostor syndrome as well, support them
Join a club of impostors, to learn from better impostors than you
Write an apology letter to everyone you think you’ve duped
Simulate the outrage of anyone reading this letter
Cut ties with everyone who would actually treat you badly after reading
Sleep well, eat well, exercise, brush your teeth, take care of yourself
My familiarity with the topic gives me enough confidence to join this challenge!
Write down your own criticism so it no longer feels fresh
Have your criticism read aloud to you by someone else
Argue back to this criticism
Write down your counter-arguments so they stick
Document your own progress
Get testimonials and references even when you don’t “need” them
Praise the competence of other people without adding self-deprecation
Same as above but in their vicinity so they’ll feel compelled to praise you back
Teach the basics of your field to newcomers
Teach the basics of your field to experts from other fields
Write down the basics of your field, for yourself
Ask someone else to make your beverage of choice
Ask them to tell you “you deserve it” when they’re giving it to you
If your instinct is to reply “no I don’t”, consider swapping the roles
Drink your beverage, because it feels nice
Build stuff that cannot possibly be built by chance alone
Stare outside the window, wondering if anybody cares about you
Consider a world where everyone is as insecure as you
Ask friends about their insecurities
Consider you’re too stupid to drink a glass of water, then drink some water
Meditate on the difference between map and territory
Write instructions for the non-impostor version of you
Write instructions for whoever replaces you when people find out you’re an impostor
Validate those instructions with other experts, passing it off as project planning
Follow the instructions to keep the masquerade on
Refine the instructions since they’re “obviously” not perfect
Publish the whole thing here, get loads of karma
Document everything you don’t know for reference
Publish the thing as a list of open problems
Criticize harshly other people’s work to see how they take it
Make amends by letting them criticize you
Use all this bitterness to create a legendary academic rivalry
Consider “impostor” as a cheap rhetorical attack that doesn’t hold up
Become very good at explaining why other people are better than you
Publish the whole thing as in-depth reporting of the life of scientists
Focus on your deadline, time doesn’t care if you’re an impostor or not
Make yourself lunch, balance on one foot, solve a sudoku puzzle
Meditate on the fact you actually can do several complex things well
Consider that competence is not about knowing exactly how one does things
Have motivational pictures near you and argue how they don’t apply to you
Consider the absurdity of arguing with pictures
Do interesting things instead, not because you have to, but to evade the absurdity
Practice the “I have no idea what I’m doing, but no one does” stance
Ask people why they think they know how they do things
If they start experimenting impostor syndrome as well, support them
Join a club of impostors, to learn from better impostors than you
Write an apology letter to everyone you think you’ve duped
Simulate the outrage of anyone reading this letter
Cut ties with everyone who would actually treat you badly after reading
Sleep well, eat well, exercise, brush your teeth, take care of yourself