In the unwelcome spotlight

“Drunk Yoga” has emerged in New York. Besides being a bonanza of potential lawsuits, it’s also a perfect example of combatting something called the spotlight effect—known, if not exactly beloved, by many solo practitioners. 

The spotlight effect is a fear of failure one encounters when doing something in front of a group of people. It’s like stage fright but can arise in situations as mundane as doing math under pressure or inserting a dollar bill into a vending machine. And it’s especially prevalent among people trying something unfamiliar, whether that’s yoga, learning culinary knife skills, or running a law office.

Drunk Yoga arose from an effort to overcome this effect. Alcohol, as we know, is a social lubricant that lowers inhibitions. Combine that knowledge with a handful of asanas that incorporate drinking (presumably intended for water), and Drunk Yoga is now a thing.

An article from Gothamist (RIP) featured a quote from Drunk Yoga instructor Eli Walker expanding on this effect:  

"I feel like New York is a big group of recovering perfectionists, so they feel like if they can't already do something well they shouldn't do it [at] all," Walker said. "There's this whole culture of being afraid of showing incompetence. But life isn't about figuring out how to avoid obstacles, it's about developing a technique to get through obstacles better."

Would-be yoga practitioners aren’t the first people to seek that elusive goal of perfection. The longer I’ve been a solo lawyer, the more I see solo colleagues trying to chase the same dragon. It seems like there should be a right way to do things—a right way to get clients, set rates, or handle ethical issues, for example—but I’m not sure there is. This feeling of ambiguity can be extremely uncomfortable in a profession guided by precedent...or completely liberating.

What strategies (or cocktail recipes) help you beat the spotlight effect?