Episode 10: Happiness doesn’t come from Being Perfect

10. Happiness Doesn’t Come From Being Perfect


Episode Summary: 

Striving for perfection is a behavior that is entirely possible to unlearn, and I’m living proof of it. Perfectionism is related to the thought and belief that you must execute your life flawlessly to be happy, lovable, worthy, or even a good and acceptable person. So many of us subscribe to the myth that once you’ve achieved perfection, you’ll be happy. However, perfection is objectively impossible. 


Show Notes:

Striving for perfection is a behavior that is entirely possible to unlearn, and I’m living proof of it. Perfectionism is related to the thought and belief that you must execute your life flawlessly to be happy, lovable, worthy, or even a good and acceptable person. So many of us subscribe to the myth that once you’ve achieved perfection, you’ll be happy. However, perfection is objectively impossible. 


Perfectionism brings up a lot of feelings of judgment for yourself and others. I share examples of what perfectionism looks like in action and break down how it causes you to act in ways that are out of alignment with your goals. By holding yourself and others to unattainable standards, you set yourself up for disappointment. 


But, recovering from perfectionism doesn't mean that you can’t still perform at a high standard. By building self-awareness and letting go of perfection, you can operate from a place of acceptance instead of fear, which not only leads to better outcomes, but also a happier mindset. 


I round out today’s conversation by sharing reflection questions that I find helpful for getting to the root cause of your perfectionism and starting the work on dismantling those beliefs. 


Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform. 


Topics Covered:

  • Understanding how perfectionism is celebrated in our society 

  • Recognizing if you have patterns of staying in the planning phase and procrastinating because of your impossibly high standards 

  • Feeling unlovable and unworthy when someone witnesses something you consider to be imperfect 

  • What happens to your nervous system when you’re constantly striving for perfection 

  • Simple, tangible ways to break perfectionist tendencies 


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