#workinprogress

Ever questioned your own legitimacy to be in a role?   They call it the imposter syndrome, the feeling that you are just bluffing your way through, that soon enough you will be found out.

In the confidence of a coaching session, I have had many a leader voice such a concern.

I can feel the same way as a coach. Surely I must have it all sorted? Be achieving great things?  Always follow my own advice?

Well no, not exactly.

Imperfectly perfect beings

Because as Carson and Langer encourage us to remember, we are all a work in progress.  To hold this view isn’t an escape clause.  It is simply an acknowledgement of our imperfect perfectness.  Which gives us the liberation to accept ourselves as we are, where we are and yet remain open to developing.  It reminds us to laugh at ourselves. And helps us to not only tolerate but also embrace our idiosyncrasies and paradoxes; to not be paralysed by them but to use them to learn and grow.  Allowing us to get excited about our evolution, it kindly allows our ‘unfolding’, widening and deepening our consciousness.  It allows us to go easy on ourselves when we trip up; we smile, get back up on our feet, dust ourselves off and start again.  As Judy Dench says in the film Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,

“We get up in the morning.  We do our best. Nothing else matters”

And..

We can do all we can to hold ourselves accountable to reassure, encourage, motivate and inspire ourselves that we are on our path.  For sure, part of the conscious adult journey is to find those ways we hold ourselves account for our actions and impact.

The ways we can do that of course,  can range from how we share our dreams and challenges with our loved ones on a daily basis. To the subtle and explicit feedback we receive.  For me, it includes having a mentor who can witness my journey and help me actually progress.  And as a coach, it involves being part of the International Coaching Federation community upholding standards of coaching and helping clients monitor their progress.  As a recent practice, two friends (who are also coaches) and I have committed to being each other’s accountability partner.  We voice message each other every week – what a gift to give and receive.

We are all walking each other home, after all, as Ram Dass beautifully said.