Blog: Perfectionism
4 simple ways I stay focused and get work done in higher ed
One theme I hear over and over in my coaching practice is the sense of being pulled in too many directions, all at once. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by competing demands and the never-ending to-do list, especially when you work in higher education. I value being...
Done or not? Deciding that your work is ready to share
You tweak. You adjust. You revise. And then you do it all over again. When is it actually time to stop? For perfectionists, "one more revision" is rarely just one. The pursuit of "good enough" can turn into never-ending work. You tell yourself you’ll submit the...
Shift your focus: Progress over perfection
Perfectionism often sneaks in when you’re aiming for excellence. It starts as a drive to do your best but can quickly spiral into endless revisions, second-guessing, and an inability to let go. Sound familiar? Maybe it’s that report you’ve been editing for weeks,...
Why perfectionists don’t like self-compassion
Why Perfectionists Don’t Like Self-Compassion I’ve come around, but only in the last few years. Before that, when I encountered advice to "practice self-compassion," I’d cringe. I probably even did an internal eye-roll. Well, friends, things have changed, and I’m now...
Adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism
Is perfectionism all bad? Spoiler alert: No! But, you'd think so, from the way it's usually depicted online, in blog posts, and in most book titles on the topic. The dominant message we get about perfectionism in the above is that it's something to overcome, to get...
Being in motion vs taking action: There’s a difference
There's a difference between being in motion and taking action. It's subtle, but matters to the way we spend our time and where we invest our energy. In my personal experience, finding the "right" balance between motion and action impacts my sense of work...
Your to-do list makeover (try this to reduce overwhelm)
Do you have a massive list of to-dos? I do, and rely on it heavily. I always have one on the go because my task list helps me: get things outside my head with prioritization and accountability create order get things done Though I am a to-do list enthusiast, I also...
A tool to manage your imposter syndrome
Here's a tool to help manage your imposter "syndrome" when it shows up in your career. Which, as research suggests, is often, especially if you have perfectionistic characteristics, which many academics do. In fact, because all people, regardless of gender, race,...
Are you an ambitious perfectionist?! Find out.
Are you an ambitious perfectionist? Some of us don't even have to contemplate the question, we know the response is "YES!" Others need to think about it. And another category of folx will initially respond "no" and then review this list and shift to "actually, maybe...
Use a distraction log to reduce procrastination
Procrastination, writes James Clear, is a force that prevents us from following through on what we set out to do. Given this force [I love his choice of that word], we need something equally powerful to counteract and resist procrastination. Enter the use of a...
Tips to get unstuck from perfectionism
Here are 12 tips to help you get unstuck from your perfectionism when it shows up, slows you down, is annoying, or sucks you into its vortex. There are no easy-peasy solutions to "overcome" perfectionism (I don't believe in overcoming perfectionism as I've written...
5 ways to set boundaries at work and temper your perfectionism
Do you struggle to set boundaries at work (and then uphold them!) because you are an ambitious perfectionist who is: uber responsible (you don't want to displease) focussed on high quality (you have elevated standards) avoiding failure (you're experiencing imposter...
