Perfectionism has the best public image of any psychological pattern I know. Say it in a job interview and it counts as a strength. “I’m a bit of a perfectionist” is the humble-brag we’re all allowed. And often there’s something real behind it: many perfectionists genuinely care about their work and hold themselves to a […]
Perfectionism Isn’t High Standards. It’s Fear With Good PR. Read More »
You’ve got the presentation next week, so you start preparing. Sensible enough. But somewhere along the way, preparing tips into something else. You rehearse it again. You rewrite the slides a fourth time. You script the answers to questions nobody may ask. And the odd thing is that the more you prepare, the less ready
Over-Preparing for a Presentation: When Safety Behaviours Backfire Read More »
You’ve read the email four times. It’s fine, and you know it’s fine. And yet – one more read, just to be sure. This is what perfectionistic checking feels like from the inside. It’s not about thoroughness, or diligence, but it’s a kind of compulsion that reason can’t quite reach. The task is done and
Perfectionistic Checking: Why High Achievers Get Stuck in the “Just One More Look” Loop Read More »
In an earlier blog post I wrote about the 5 different types of imposter syndrome as defined by Dr. Valerie Young. Click here to read. In this post I write about one of those types in more detail – The Perfectionist Imposter. The Perfectionist Imposter Imposter syndrome shows up in different ways for different people.
The Perfectionist Imposter: When Nothing You Do Ever Feels Enough Read More »
Which Type of Imposter Are You? Understanding the 5 Patterns Identified by Dr Valerie Young Imposter syndrome can show up in all sorts of sneaky and frustrating ways, and often without us even realising that’s what’s happening. One moment you’re doing well on the outside, the next you’re questioning your worth, brushing off compliments, or
Do you hold yourself to impossibly high standards? Maybe even when things go well, it’s hard to feel good about them—you zero in on what wasn’t quite right, what could have been better. If there’s a voice inside that says, “You’re still not good enough” no matter how much you achieve, perfectionism could be playing
The Perfectionism Trap: When Trying to Get It Right Keeps You Stuck Read More »