When good enough is good enough. And when it’s not.
There are some roles in my life that I’d LIKE to master. And I likely won’t.
Y’know: Hallowe’en costume sewer, flat tire fixer, origami folder, rock climber, devoted skin care regimen follower (or, at a minimum expert makeup applier), igloo-builder, runner, speller (writing “regimen” right first time around would be cool), painter (of walls), reverse parallel-parker, Wordpress wrangler, gardener, paella-maker, photographer, designer (of like, everything), and so on.
It’s possible that my life would be fitter, simpler, more playful and less expensive if I mastered all the above.
Possible.
But frankly, I’m “good enough” in all of those roles. And that’s good enough.
And there are some roles in my life that I’d really like to master. And as such, I invest time and energy in deepening into practice.
Yogini. Painter (of art). Teacher.
But when I roll out my mat, survey the blank canvas, approach the flipchart, I recognize how long the road to mastery is, AND I imagine how delightful the pursuit will be.
I know these are important to me…and I also know they’re not the calling of my soul. Besides, I’m good enough and working towards great.
The roles that are REALLY important to me? The ones I really REALLY want to master?
Mother. Coach. Writer. Partner. Speaker. Leader.
Yeah…THOSE are the roles that matter to me.
Profoundly.
And in the shadows of those roles, the Impostor Complex lies in wait. When someone projects “fabulous mother” or “great partner” onto me, it takes effort to find Thank You. My mind scans to all the places where that’s simply not felt true.
(In honesty, Speaker, Leader, and Coach aren’t quite as springloaded these days, as I’ve been doing some pretty deep work in all of these roles. I hear the lies of the Impostor Complex and I can move along.)
But Writer? Oh how Writer haunts me. Not with shoulds and musts and oughttas. But with deep yearning. Heart-pounding, soul-shuddering desire. And the no-holds-barred assault of the Impostor Complex.
Nothing quite like telling, like, EVERYONE you’re writing a book to bring on the Impostor Complex in all of its ferocious glory. Seemingly impassible.
But most insightful. Reminds you just how close something lives to your heart. JUST how much it matters.
Every time I run my Step into Your Starring Role Coaching program, I pick the next role I ALSO want to step into. When I heard the words of a former participant, I knew in an instant which role it needed to be:
“There are plenty of places in our lives where we feel like Impostors. But it’s the role that we want the MOST that has us feeling the MOST like an Impostor. And that’s why we need Step into your Starring Role.”
This time, the role I’m stepping into is capital-W ‘Writer’.
Because it’s the scariest place for me to look. And it’s where “good enough” simply isn’t good enough.
Your soul knows when “good enough” is true AND when it’s an excuse. Ask for discernment. (Tweet this)
Check out my free training on the 5 Shifts Our Clients Use to Overcome the Imposter Complex and Grow their Income and their Impact
Where I pull back the curtain on five shifts to start raising voices, rates, and hands all while being the kind, congruent, and authentic leader I know you to be.