Break Free of Perfectionism’s Grasp: Start Before You’re “Ready”

Perfectionism is a survival response to a society that has us all looking at each other like competition so it’s no wonder almost all of us are plagued by it. In this approach, perfection equals acceptance → acceptance equals belonging → belonging equals safety and survival. But here’s the deal, we are humans, not robots. They call it human error for a reason, we are not built to be “perfect” and neither is the world around us. But giving yourself permission to show up imperfectly or share something before it’s perfectly polished can be terrifying for so many of us. Leaning into and witnessing our humanity, especially in our stumbles, is the secret sauce – finding opportunities and spaces where the imperfection is celebrated, fostered and supported. In this episode, we talk about what perfectionism is, how it shows up, real-life examples of it, and how to work through it. We talk about starting before you’re ready, valuing curiosity over certainty, and embracing progress over perfection. For show notes and more info, visit nikkiinnocent.com/podcast/podcast-episodes/perfectionism