HEARTISTS LET GO OF PERFECT. Heartists are not perfectionists. We are tryers, failers, and pick-ourselves-back- up-againers. Perfectionists procrastinate and avoid trying new ideas, because life feels like an endless report card on ourselves. But instead of reacting to every error with surprise (what!), denial (you’re wrong!), defensiveness (it’s not my fault!) and shame (I can’t show my face here again!) there is another way. Failing is how we learn. It is how we are our most creative, our most innovative and our most curious. Being deeply humanly messily imperfect is, ironically, how we reach excellence.
PERFECTIONISM IS ON THE RISE - THAT’S FAR FROM PERFECT NEWS! FACT 23
There are 3 types of perfect; expecting yourself to be perfect, expecting others to be perfect, or assuming that everyone expects you to be perfect. And they all make us feel bad, really bad, when we don’t meet these unrealistic expectations. Excessive worrying and other types of anxiety are all fuelled by perfectionism - and the belief that other people expect you to be perfect has increased the most. A recent university study of 40,000 students found that their levels of perfectionistic thoughts have doubled in the last twenty years. And sadly, perfectionism predicts a lower mood, like anger and irritability, and all sorts of mental ill health, from exhaustion to depression and worse. So next time you’re thinking that you, or something you’re doing, has to be perfect, chat to another Heartist, and let them help you let go. Just a little.
HERE’S WHAT PERFECTIONISTS OFTEN BELIEVE - DO YOU AGREE?
There’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Pushing for perfection is the only way we will end up with any- thing other than mediocre. I have succeeded because I’m a perfectionist. I get respect because I do things so perfectly. Mistakes mean failure. And failure is devastating. We never want to fail, at anything. Sometimes I struggle to get started on tasks because I know it must be perfect the first time. Sometimes I have avoided task s because if I don’t do it, it doesn’t count, and no one can accuse me of not doing it perfectly. I avoid feedback because until I know something is perfect, I don’t need anyone else’s opinions or ideas.
HEARTIST BY ACCOR | 103
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