3 Simple Strategies To Break Your Imposter Syndrome & Strive For Excellence

I am a perfectly-imperfect juxtaposition.

As an Architect, I value accuracy and precision. It comes with our training. Creating safe, sustainable structures for people to live, work, and play in requires our best effort in making as few mistakes as possible. The closer to perfection, the better.

As a Life Coach however, I value gentle and imperfect improvement. Change takes time, and in working towards your dreams, wants, and desires, it’s important to offer yourself grace while you figure out what methods are most effective for you. Focusing on your accomplishments along the way is always far more rewarding and realistic than striving for perfection. In fact, the further your focus is from trying to manufacture perfection, the closer you will get to true excellence.

Let’s look at Mikhail Baryshnikov, a ballet dancer from Latvia, known for his incredible talent and captivating performances.

Photography: Mark Seliger, Courtesy of Nikon USA.

Retrieved from this New York Times article.

Baryshnikov began dancing at the age of 9. In his early twenties, he became the star of the Kirov Ballet and was described as the most perfect dancer to grace the stage by New York Times critic Clive Barnes. He later earned the title as one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century, and pursued many artistic avenues during his career including modern dance, artistic directing, and film.

As a side note, I was lucky enough to see Baryshnikov perform at Sadler’s Wells in London, 1999, and he did not disappoint. Despite struggling with a knee injury at the time, his movements were swift and graceful - still seemingly perfect. It was a truly breath-taking performance.

In an interview from the Harvard Business Review, he was asked about the key to mastering so many art forms: “In retrospect, I think the failures might have been the most important experiences. [...] failures are the best school you can get.”

Perfectionism is an illusion. It’s a trait that can bring out the best or worst in you. It can fuel motivation to work hard and produce your best work (for a limited time) or it can tear down all hopes of even starting let alone finishing a project. It’s a slippery slope to Imposter Syndrome with the inevitable dead end of massive burn out.

Many of the challenges my clients face stem from Imposter Syndrome, the internal struggle of never feeling as competent as others perceive you to be and the fear of being discovered a fraud. The term was created by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 70’s, originally applied to the experiences many high-achieving women faced. Today, it is recognized as more widely experienced across all genders and backgrounds.

So how do we rid ourselves from this looming fear and anxiety preventing us from achieving our true creative potential? Baryshnikov’s solution is simple, “I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I try to dance better than myself.”

Eliminating the need to constantly compare yourself to others and strive for an impossible standard is pure freedom. I know, I know - easier said than done, right? But it’s definitely worth your effort to try. This shift in perspective allows you to show up from a different vantage point. You no longer get stuck in the cycle of fear, shame, and self-doubt. You sit above it, as an observer.

Here are 3 Simple Strategies I recommend for my clients to practice so they can view imperfections as opportunities for clarity, growth, and self-compassion:

1. Practice self-awareness when self-doubt and shame are stealing your energy and attention.

Listen for the negative, bitter, or hypercritical internal voice and force it out of the shadows. You can even give it an annoying persona or voice to separate it from yourself and diminish its power. Correct the voice with your many accomplishments – big and small. Give yourself gentle reassurance that you are worthy, your voice matters, and YOU matter.

2. Get curious about what mistakes hold you captive and what the real cost would be.

Consider how Baryshnikov used mistakes to inspire growth, innovation, and creativity in his work. Often, the consequences we believe will follow rarely come true and are harsher than reality.

3. Have a conversation with yourself about the toxic perfectionist in you.

I encourage authentic and honest self-conversations. It can be helpful to keep track in a journal to reflect as needed. Here are a few prompts to get you started:

• Whose opinion matter to me and why?

• Where does this inner critic come from?

• What am I assuming about myself or my work that is not good enough?

• How can I overcome these feelings of self-doubt?

• What might have helped my idol (or someone famous) who likely faced a lot of rejection on their path to success? What may be helpful for me?

• What would I gain by giving up?

• Why do I not believe in myself? How can I change this narrative?

• How does Baryshnikov deal with mistakes? Can I follow his lead?

As a bonus, here is a passage by Eric Maisel, Ph.D. on the topic of self-worth and its importance for creative motivation and exploration:

“Your ability to create is intimately connected to your intention to matter. If you don’t really think that you, your ideas, or your work matter, you won’t have the motivational juice to create. So, I would like you to say, ‘I intend to matter’ or, ‘My creative work matters,’ or ‘I matter’ twenty or thirty times today. Will you do that? […] Keep saying ‘I matter” out loud and without embarrassment, until something clicks, and you feel a steely resolve to be of significance.”

Maisel Ph.D., Eric. Coaching the Artist Within (p. 9).

New World Library. Kindle Edition.

The intention and energy you bring to setting and working towards your goals is crucial to your overall success and wellbeing. You can choose to focus only on the obstacles in front of you, or you can choose to observe your surroundings objectively and focus on a solution. Embrace challenges and failures as an opportunity to learn - They make you stronger, more resilient, and ultimately, more successful in the long run. Like Baryshnikov, failures will help you unlock and explore your true potential.

~

As a CCA-Certified Creativity Coach, with over 30 years’ experience in art, design, and mentorship, I work with individuals and groups who value creativity in their daily lives and work.

Hi, I’m Roy Stevens, a Creativity Catalyst Life Coach. I help talented, creative professionals refuel their inspiration and reimagine their true potential using effective, client-focused strategies and proven methods. With over 30 years' experience in art, design, and mentorship, it's my honor and privilege to support my clients success.

Ready to welcome and embrace the next stage of your creative journey? Complete my Coaching Assessment to book your exploratory call.

Roy Stevens

Creativity Catalyst Life Coach