Encouraging perfectionism is like handing a recovering alcoholic a drink — it feels helpful, but it's a total setup.
Like many of us, yours truly used to overprepare for meetings and presentations to validate that hiring me was the right decision. I overcommitted myself to "prove my worth." I avoided asking for support, cautious that it might be perceived as a sign of weakness or incompetence.
Personal hell was when once during my onboarding a stakeholder suggested I ‘deepen my business acumen’ to better position myself in the company. Ouch. I took it way too personally, like I wasn't good enough. His feedback triggered a perfectionism trap/loop that many of us get stuck in:
1️⃣ Self-doubt
2️⃣ Looking for evidence of deficiency
3️⃣ Finding "proof" in the environment
4️⃣ Intensifying self-doubt.
Sounds familiar? But here's how we can break free:
✅ Notice when you're in the perfectionist loop
✅ Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset
✅ Focus on time limits, not a "perfect" outcome
When you loosen the grip of perfectionism, you'll feel "lighter." This ‘lightness’ reflects the release of energy previously spent on overworking and doubting.
Yes, perfectionism can push us forward or hold us back. The trick is knowing which is which.
Like many of us, yours truly used to overprepare for meetings and presentations to validate that hiring me was the right decision. I overcommitted myself to "prove my worth." I avoided asking for support, cautious that it might be perceived as a sign of weakness or incompetence.
Personal hell was when once during my onboarding a stakeholder suggested I ‘deepen my business acumen’ to better position myself in the company. Ouch. I took it way too personally, like I wasn't good enough. His feedback triggered a perfectionism trap/loop that many of us get stuck in:
1️⃣ Self-doubt
2️⃣ Looking for evidence of deficiency
3️⃣ Finding "proof" in the environment
4️⃣ Intensifying self-doubt.
Sounds familiar? But here's how we can break free:
✅ Notice when you're in the perfectionist loop
✅ Ditch the all-or-nothing mindset
✅ Focus on time limits, not a "perfect" outcome
When you loosen the grip of perfectionism, you'll feel "lighter." This ‘lightness’ reflects the release of energy previously spent on overworking and doubting.
Yes, perfectionism can push us forward or hold us back. The trick is knowing which is which.
