The Problems of Perfectionism | UYGW038

Do you remember a time when a project took you so long to complete because everything needed to be “just right”? Maybe you’re a music composer, and you can’t quite finish that new song because something in the lyrics just refuses to make sense. Or, maybe you’re like me, and you were writing a book that created internal turmoil because that book could only house thirteen brilliant ideas individually picked from a lifetime of knowledge. The explanation? Perfectionism. The problem with perfectionism? It’s impossible. It’s waiting for every single piece of the puzzle to be spotless. When we find ourselves confronting spouts of perfectionism, it makes accomplishing our Great Work ten times harder and ten times longer to achieve. If we can find a way to let go of being the best and pleasing every single person on the face of this earth, we can achieve something greater than perfection: Commitment to Excellence. As I approach my great and beautiful forty-fifth year of life this week, I reflect on how much Great Work I have achieved and will continue to achieve. I celebrate my willingness to be unique and my strength to fail fast. Because if we can’t let go of getting it right on the first try, there’s no possible way to achieve our Great Work in enough time to be able to celebrate it.

Join us as we discuss:

00:59 Perfectionism is the number one weakness in our lives.

02:10 The two problems of Perfectionism.

04:44 How perfectionism can play that role in creative work, scientific work, and in an email.

05:24 Perfection is impossible but we’re making it as our standard.

07:19 The difference between Perfectionism and Commitment to Excellence.

09:55 Perfectionism is based on other people's perceptions and expectations.

11:05 Perfectionism is removing uniqueness from your work.

12:52 Great work is built on the four pillars of great work.

15:04 What is a defensive failure, and how perfectionism becomes a defensive failure.

16:45 The consequences of perfectionism.

About the Host:

Dr. Amanda Crowell is a cognitive psychologist, speaker, podcaster, author of Great Work, and the creator of the Great Work Journals. Amanda's TEDx talk: Three Reasons You Aren’t Doing What You Say You Will Do has received more than a million views and has been featured on TED's Ideas blog and TED Shorts. Her ideas have also been featured on NPR, Al Jazeera, The Wall Street Journal, Quartz, and Thrive Global. Amanda lives in New Jersey with her husband, two adorable kids, and a remarkable newfiepoo named Ruthie. She spends her days educating future teachers, coaching accidental entrepreneurs, and speaking about how to make progress on Great Work to colleges and corporate teams. To book Dr. Crowell to speak or inquire about coaching, check out amandacrowell.com or email amanda@amandacrowell.com.

Website: amandacrowell.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Work-Amanda-J-Crowell/dp/1737374196

Podcast: PODCAST - Amanda Crowell

IG: https://www.instagram.com/aj_crowell

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-amanda-crowell-51188130/

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