Meet J.t. Rath

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful J.t. Rath a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi J.T. , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

This is an interesting question because I don’t think I’ve actually overcome Imposter Syndrome. In many facets of my life – work, relationships, my writing – I find that I can ask myself, “Am I really good at this, or just faking it until I make it?” This doubt often comes in after making a mistake or not performing as well as you would have hoped.

I’ve combatted against Imposter Syndrome in a handful of ways. First, it helps to have people in your corner. In my career, I look for leaders that give positive feedback and will take the time to tell me when I’m doing well, not just when things aren’t right (this applies to relationships too!). When I think of my personal endeavors like writing or my film review blog, I often come back to the Theodore Roosevelt quote about the “man in the arena”. Sure, someone may think my novel was “so boring” (actual quote), but my guess would be that they’ve not actually done something as courageous as written a book themselves. It says a lot that you DID THE THING, so if you can avoid letting others take that from you, it’s easier to not take it from yourself.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My main focus in life right now is prepping to be a first time dad in the next several weeks (as of writing this)! Outside of that adventure, I’m at a bit of a crossroads with my creative endeavors.

I’ve recently released Infinitude, my sci-fi, time travel epic that was 7 years in the making. The launch prep was fun, but not always my forte, so I’m very much looking forward to getting back to writing.

In my professional career, I’m a leader in the revenue operations department of a healthcare startup. It’s fast, exciting, and sometimes grueling work. With a new baby on the way, my time will be even more limited.

As an author and someone who loves to write (I love my current job, but dream job is to be an uber-successful writer!), I want to make sure I take the time to PLAY before my next story. Currently, I’m actually focused on learning, reading several books around storytelling, character building, and genre plotting. It’s all fascinating, and has given me several tools to put to use when I start something new, hopefully before the end of the year.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Time Management – this has been the “silver bullet” that has allowed me to have a successful career with upward growth, get married and start a family, run a movie and game review blog, write and publish a novel, exercise, and many other hobbies all within my day to day. Sometimes it forces you to say “no” to things, but largely I think understanding what you’d like to fit in and accomplish in any given day is a good recipe for success.

EQ – probably the single biggest gap they don’t teach you in college (they should start in high school). Learning to have Emotional Intelligence not only regarding yourself, but also others. Being able to read a room, and tone, and body language, while managing your own, is a key component to building relationships. In my career, I believe it’s helped others have confidence in my ability to handle more/pressure, while in my writing it has helped me to delve into character mindsets better.

Continuous Improvement / Learning – these skills are ones I have to remind myself to focus on at times – it’s easy to become complacent! But what’s life if we’re not striving to better ourselves? If I were to just think, “Nope, I’m the best writer out there. I don’t need to learn anymore.” I’m guessing my writing would suffer over the years. This applies in many areas of life, but taking the time to internally realize when you may need to refresh your training or your knowledge is a very powerful weapon.

What’re you working on yourself right now?

Fatherhood and the anxiety that comes with being a first time dad, but also the time dedication required. Don’t mistake me, I’m very excited to start this journey, but where time management is one of my strengths, flexibility is often the other side of the coin that gets sacrificed.

I know I’ll get the hang of it, and I’m already planning on sunsetting some hobbies that no longer serve me the way they used to. Writing is not one of them, so in that space, I’ll need to be better at sitting down and plotting/writing/editing in the “in between” moments, as opposed to a rigid schedule, all while likely giving myself grace should I miss a week or two.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jtrath.com
• Instagram: j.t_rath
• Facebook: J.T. Rath – author
• Other: Film Review Website: http://www.raths-reviews.com/

Image Credits

Molly Rath