"Perfectionism" kills innovation silently

Many people identify as "perfectionists"; Insecurity lurks beneath perfectionism and a deep apprehension about exposing our flaws. Perfectionism is a learned illusion that must be overcome. It is a behavioral pattern that can be learned and we learn it when we are raised in environments where:

- For making mistakes, we are punished or shamed.

- The main focus is on appearance: how we appear to other families, our physical appearance, and so on.

- There is authoritative parenting: strict, rigid, black and white, harsh punishment, no room for play or joy.

- There is a lack of openness, vulnerability, exploration, or curiosity.

- A parent is hypervigilant (highly anxious)

As we become older, school environments where having the wrong answer is punished serve to reinforce perfectionism. And through grading, we receive rewards and are ranked. A lot of perfectionists develop into overachievers who flourish in this system. In actuality, learning comes through our missteps in life. It's how we discover more about ourselves and receive input from the outside world. We all make mistakes as humans. Perfectionism is a myth. We shouldn't avoid or try to hide the fact that we have flaws. Perfectionists frequently struggle with procrastination. This is a fear-based reaction to the idea that there is only one "correct" approach or "correct solution."

To let go of perfectionism, we must be at ease with our discomfort, vulnerability, lack of knowledge, and others' perception of our "failure." The fear of being judged by others is what perfectionists suffer with the most. This is due to their realization that making no mistakes is what makes them valuable. Additionally, when they did make mistakes as kids, they were either embarrassed, given poor grades, or did not get the chance to develop or learn from the mistake. We can allow ourselves to be life students if we let go of the illusion of perfection. Learning from our decisions, adapting to them, and evolving. We can learn that life is a series of options rather than worrying excessively about making the "correct choice."And that we always have the option to PIVOT, or adjust our behavior, in order to get a different result when we make a "bad choice." THIS IS WISDOM.

Based on Dr Nicole Lepera work