Episode 89: Perfectionism By Any Other Name

Warning: This episode of the Inside Job Podcast is not perfect. That’s not only okay – that’s the point.

It is now socially acceptable to reject the label of “perfectionist” – in fact, it’s hard to find someone who would say that perfect is their goal. However, it’s extraordinarily easy to find colleagues, friends, and/or family members who say:

I hold myself to an extremely high standard.

I never settle for less than the best.

I have no margin for error on this project.

What’s the old saying – a rose by any other name is still a rose? Well, 'perfect' by any other name is still perfect. And the language we use and the expectations we hold still suggest we’re trying to be perfect.

We simply can’t.

In this episode, we talk about how self-punishing it is to live and work in environments with no room for mistakes, despite language we may use to suggest otherwise. We discuss the origin story of our perfectionist expectations and highlight how to recognize when we’re trying to achieve the impossible.

We also talk about how to know when we’ve done enough, when to realize that our goal should be to do “B” work, and why it’s important to define success in advance of our efforts.

And we wish Nayla a happy birthday!

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Episode 90: Dump the Cliches and Embrace Your Values

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Episode 88: External Validation and the Inside Job