A Recovering Perfectionist

As I was getting ready to go for a walk, a thought suddenly struck me: How do professionalism and perfectionism show up in your businesses?

In your personal lives?

Even in parenting?

Let me share a recent experience.

Just yesterday afternoon, I had a conversation with a business owner who was on the brink of giving up and letting her business go.

She felt completely deflated.

Despite investing significant amounts of money in people she believed would help her business, she was repeatedly let down by their lack of follow-through.

She was angry with herself for “falling prey” to individuals who talk a good game but fail to deliver on their promises. I’m sure you’ve felt this way at some point in your professional life.

As I was preparing for my walk, two words kept echoing in my mind: Professionalism and Perfectionism.

The business owner I spoke with was caught in the relentless pursuit of perfectionism.

I understand—I’m a recovering perfectionist myself.

And I can tell you from experience, striving for perfection is exhausting, frustrating, and stressful.

It never feels good or perfect enough!

I see this struggle not only with my business clients but also with parents I coach.

There’s this unspoken need to be the best—whether it’s being the best mom or the best entrepreneur, often for the sake of others’ approval.

I know you might think, “That’s not me.” But…

If you took the time to journal about why it’s so important for you to be perfect, I’m certain a powerful “A-ha” moment would appear.

So, what if we shifted our focus from being perfect to being professional?

Here’s a clear comparison to consider—where do you want to live your life?

Professionalism focuses on:

• Courteous and conscientious work ethic
• Communicating effectively
• Speaking to your target market
• Using clear language
• Providing constructive feedback
• Being productive
• Managing your time effectively

Perfectionism focuses on:

• Setting impossibly high standards for all your goals and projects
• Constantly striving for an unattainable perfection
• Being driven by a fear of failure
• Leading to stress, burnout, and even adrenal fatigue
• Hindering productivity by spending too much time making things “perfect”

So, how can you be a great parent without the pressure of perfection? And how can you be the CEO of your business, running it professionally while letting go of perfectionism?

The choice is yours…