After a recent bout of contending with my own perfectionism, I had a profound realization.

Perhaps calling myself a recovering perfectionist is incorrect.

Maybe my perfectionism isn’t something that I need to fix about myself. Perhaps the work is more about recognizing when I’m disconnected from my wise self and deploying the right tools to get back on track.

What if we’re all just perfectly imperfect works in progress? And what would it take for us to cultivate deep self-compassion when perfectionism shows up in our lives?

Today, I invite you to join me in this investigation of your perfectionism with a heart full of compassion for yourself and the messy, imperfect process we all go through.

Through mental rehearsal, or cognitive priming, I’ll lead you on a thought experiment designed to help you loosen your grip on perfectionism and move closer to right-sizing your effort.

This journey is about understanding and supporting yourself through the messy, imperfect process we all go through. (And how we can still get great results along the way!)

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Defining the spectrums of perfectionism and perfectionism’s underlying “promise”
• Differentiating between beneficial high standards and stress-inducing patterns and behaviors
• The benefits of mentally rehearsing a potential scenario
• A thought experiment to help you lower your internal bar and half-ass it

Learn more about Valerie Black:

• The Change Agency
• Becoming Power Newsletter
• Coaching

Resources:

• The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale
• The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown
• The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, Thomas Curran
• The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power, Katherine Morgan Schafler