I was a straight As and gold stars kind of kid. 🌟  From an early age, I had the recipe down—do the homework, study hard, get good grades, be the best in the class. It was an easy recipe for “success”. 

Unfortunately, that’s now how the real world actually works. Admittedly, I did make it work for a long time, and my early career roles thrived on it. But as I became a leader and my job became much less straight forward, my perfectionism quickly hindered me. 

I set unrealistic standards, shot down great ideas, avoiding risk to avoid failure, and I didn’t delegate nearly enough. In short, I kind of sucked. I also had loads of anxiety and self-doubt.

My wake-up call came through in 360s with the simple comment—“Jessica is afraid to take risks.” It stung. What I saw as essential meticulous planning, my team (rightfully) saw as me holding us back. That feedback was a needed jolt. 

Overcoming perfectionism is a JOURNEY, ya’ll, but here are some things that helped me:

💡 Embrace “good enough” – At Facebook a poster that read, “Done is better than perfect” was plastered on the walls. Completion, even with imperfections, is far more valuable than endless pursuit of the unattainable. 

💡 Reframe “failure” as “learning” – Instead of dreading mistakes, adopt a growth mindset. Every mistake is a lesson, so ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?

💡 Foster open feedback dialogue – Integrate feedback into 1:1s, project reviews and even dedicated sessions. I personally love using “stop/start/continue”. You’ll get more consistent feedback on your leadership, and bonus: openly regularly discussing feedback creates a safe space where perfectionism is not the norm. 

💡 Catch the “shoulds” – Pay attention to the voice in your head that whispers “I should…” Whenever it pops up, reframe the unrealistic expectations into a positive, achievable goal. “I want to deliver high-quality work” sounds much better than “I must be flawless.”

💡 Celebrate progress, big and small – I used to barrel through milestones, never pausing to celebrate, always chasing the next one. Consciously celebrating every step, big or small, fuels motivation and helps ditch the “never enough” cycle. 

💡 Break free together – Sharing your perfectionist challenges with a trusted friend or mentor isn’t just vulnerability, it can be a lifeline. You’ll gain support, alternative perspectives & a regular reminder that you’re not alone.

📌 How have YOU overcome perfectionist tendencies? Share the tools, resources, tactics, mantras and whatever else has worked well for you in the comments! 🙌