Paralyzed by Perfectionism
Paralyzed by Perfectionism What I didn’t realize during the long years I was a perfectionist is how much work I was doing just to feel safe, just to feel OK. It’s common for perfectionists to believe that they’re more capable in the driver’s seat than life is, and I had absolute belief in that delusion. […]
Just What is Perfectionism?
Just What is Perfectionism? One day last week I was having lunch with an old friend I hadn’t seen for a while. As we were catching up, I was describing a new group course I’m launching called, Relaxed High Performance: Moving Beyond Perfectionism. As we talked, it became clear to me that we had completely […]
Presence is the Best Preparation
Presence is the Best Preparation I’ve spent a great deal of time in my life preparing for future events: coaching sessions, meetings, presentations, performances, and any number of other occasions. The other day, as I was talking to a client about preparing for a specific event, it occurred to me that preparation is a tool […]
The Woman Who Made the Sun Come Up
The Woman Who Made the Sun Come Up — Once, long ago (or maybe yesterday) there was a hard-working woman who woke up every morning two hours before daylight.
It could be summer or winter, but she never failed to be up at the appointed time. It was a testament to how seriously she took her job, which was to make the sun come up each morning. She thought of herself as the Sun Bringer.
Judgment is the Tripwire
Perfectionism has two accomplices. Without them, it can’t appear. The two are judgment, and resistance. When I judge something, several things happen. First, I’ve completely lost sight of the true nature of whatever I happen to be judging. That judgmental thought sets up a physical feeling of resistance. At that point, because I’m resisting that […]