Drowning in Checklists? It Might Be Imposter Syndrome
- Victoria Scott
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
A checklist is a powerful tool: it helps you prioritize, stay on track, and feel accomplished. Who hasn’t felt the satisfaction of checking off a task?
Some of my clients have even admitted that when an unexpected urgent task comes up, they add it to their list just to get the credit for checking it off. And honestly? Why not. It was a real priority, and they earned that checkmark.
But here's something we don’t talk about enough:
Imposter syndrome can show up in your checklist, too.
When Your To-Do List Feels Full, but You’re Still Stuck
One of my clients came to a session feeling productive. They had been crossing off a lot of items from their checklist.
But something didn’t feel quite right.
Despite all the activity, they weren’t making meaningful progress on a major, high-impact project. They knew they were running out of time. They also knew they were spending their energy on lower-priority tasks instead of the work that truly mattered.
They didn’t feel stuck, but they were. And they didn’t know why their effort wasn't moving the needle.
That’s when we explored something deeper: Productive procrastination. A subtle, sneaky way imposter syndrome shows up.
How the Perfection–Procrastination Cycle Works
For high-achievers, imposter syndrome rarely shouts. It whispers.
It sounds like: 🗣️ “I just need to feel more prepared.”
🗣️ “I’ll start once I know exactly what to do.”
🗣️ “Let me knock out these small things first, then I’ll focus.”
This creates a cycle I often see in my clients:
➡️ You're unsure how to start something unfamiliar or high-stakes, which activates perfectionism.
➡️ You procrastinate until you can figure out how to do it “perfectly.”
➡️ As the deadline looms, you finally push past perfectionism just to get it done.
➡️ You submit something that’s not bad, and maybe even good, but you know it could have been better.
➡️ Then comes the self-criticism: “Why didn’t I start sooner?”
➡️ And the cycle repeats.
Sound familiar?
When Imposter Syndrome Drives the List
For my client, their checklist became a comfort zone, a place to feel competent, capable, and in control. But it also became a hiding place from the task that felt intimidating and uncertain.
That’s how imposter syndrome can sabotage us: By encouraging us to be busy, instead of taking imperfect action.
Once we named what was happening, we worked together to break the intimidating project into smaller, more manageable steps. We untangled the fear-based thinking that was getting in the way. And we created an action plan that felt both doable and aligned with their goals.
Start With One Small, Messy Step
If you’ve been checking all the boxes but still feel like you’re falling short, ask yourself:
📋 Am I being productive without making real progress?
📋 Am I avoiding the real priorities because I’m afraid of not doing it perfectly?
📋 Is my inner critic telling me I need to be more prepared before I begin?
📋 What would I do differently if I trusted that my first step doesn’t need to be flawless?
Imposter syndrome doesn’t just hold you back, it exhausts you
It can make even the most accomplished professionals second-guess themselves. If it’s getting in your way, or if it’s making your success feel harder than it needs to be, let’s talk.
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