Imposters handbook: a quick review

A year ago I read the imposters handbook. It seemed like this book was specifically for people like me. The found himself in the same position I was in: Feeling like an imposter.

I read this book a year ago, but it took me this long to write something about it as I was lacking the daily discipline of working on my blog probably related to the same imposter feeling.

I felt like an imposter and, at times, probably still, but I’m way more confident now after I realized that everyone else feels the same way. The book showed me that feeling like an imposter is normal but that it doesn’t mean that you should continuously take the back seat and let another lead the way as you think you don’t belong.

This book is a great starter for people, like me, who did not do a Computer Science degree. It is a basic introduction to many relevant topics, but you may want to dive even deeper into those that you encounter more often.

You will find topics you may never ever need, but it’s simply nice to be familiar with what these are and that you can smile and nod without blatantly faking it.

A year later I notice that version 2, with Scott Hanselman, is out and it looks promising:imposters_handbook_season2Link to Imposters Handbook Season 2

I would encourage anyone working in technology or with an interest in programming to read this. It has certainly given me a great deal of comfort knowing that I can now understand some CS concepts that evaded me in the past. 

a brilliant talk on how to prepare for success

I watched this talk and it answered most of the questions I had about how to succeed and make an impact.

The talk is titled “You and your research/career”, implying your career is something to be studied.

You should watch it yourself, but for me, the main take away is: “Work on important things with important people”.

I hope you learn something that inspires you to take charge of your career. Where do you want to be, who do you want to work with and what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind.

I got this talk from: Must-See Tech Talks for Every Programmer

Programming well with others

I watched a funny but interesting talk about working well with others.

An important take away from this video is:

  • It’s not about how smart you look, but what impact you can make with others

You can find many other great pieces of advice in the video. It is done in a very interesting manner. They’r taking “live” calls!

I got this from Must-See Tech Talks for Every Programmer.

32 and content

Yesterday I turned 32. What an amazing time to be alive. There are so many mountains to climb and challenges to overcome. I have a sense of destiny awaiting while feeling thankful that I have opportunities to reach for things greater than where I come from.

I had no party, no event, not too many people over and it felt libarating. Having the option to choose what to do and then choosing a simple day, with loved ones. Those very close to me. This, in the form of conversations, phone calls and messages. I appreciate the day called birthday and I understand why it’s such an important day to almost every one.

I realise that health is something one takes for granted and that it is one of the biggest blessings in our lives. Without it, nothing works. I’m eternally greatful for mine.

I am a beliver and it shapes every part of my life. I’m thankful for every new year that’s added to my life. I’m so thankful for all the good gifts I have recieved and I’m eternally greaful for salvation and a walk that challenges me to grow.

I hope that this is just the beginning, I hope that my story continues further into the happily ever after. I hope that I grow in character, skill and spheres of impact. I hope to spend more days feeling content and less days thinking about what I do not have. I hope focus on who I’m becoming and not what I’m acquiring.

When are you proficient in a programming language?

Learning a programming language gives you the opportunity to explore other problem domains alongside new approaches to addressing familiar problems.

I write this as I was looking for the answer to exactly this question. There were many opinions that had me confused, some from ancient rockstar ninjas who command CPUS at will and others from earnest people who are also seeking.

Why would one ask such a question in the first place? It seems like the actual issue is 2 fold. For me it is firstly; when can this go on my resume. Secondly and probably more specific to me: when to move on to the next language or skill. When can I check off my to-do list and say that I know a programming language?

After looking at many other ideas, In my opinion: You are proficient in a language when you are able to read, understand and debug code along with deploying to production.

If you can read, write and execute you are well on your way and I would consider this profecient. Beyond this, optionally, persue mastery. Though in order to keep a language on your resume, make sure to continually read, understand and debug.

Link to other opinions: https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/154862/at-what-point-can-i-say-ive-learned-a-language

Take a Nap, Change your life Book Review

I used to ascribe to the phrase: “sleep when you die”, but to what benefit? Hustling? Working hard? That may seem like the best thing to do now, but it may take 3 times as long for you to reach your goals, if you are burnt out, as you make a lot of mistakes in this state.

The title of this book grabbed my attention. Who doesn’t what to change their lives for the better? I guess most of us do, so the things I take form this book was exactly what I expeceted: Working smart and sharpening your most valued tool, the mind, is simply one of the best things you can do for your better future.

The book teaches that napping has many benefits and encourages you to incorporate a nap into your daily routine. On regular days, a short nap will do, but on days when you feel more exhausted taking a longer one is perfectly fine.

The short 20-minute nap gives you a boost in energy and alertness, which is good for motor learning skills. The longer 90-minute nap gives you a full sleep cycle, improved emotional state, and procedural memory, this also helps with new connections in the brain. Source for more data.

What I didn’t like about the book. I was expecting a 5 pager to be honest. Give me all the good stuff and let me go to bed right now. The book focuses on education around sleep in general. It makes a short hit at the naps and how to do it. The main focus is on understanding how sleep works.

You should read this book, if you want to undrestand why napping is important and how your sleep cycles work.

This book may not change your life, but applying the principles may have an exponential impact on your health, happiness and possibly even bank account.