AF225 - Overcoming Perfectionism in Business
Today I’m tackling an issue many of us deal with - perfectionism - and how to overcome it. Perfectionism can feel like a necessary part of becoming successful, but in fact, it’s an obstacle that stops us getting what we really want. Instead of focusing on our own goals, perfectionists can get distracted by unrealistic expectations, procrastination, and anxiety about how others judge us. In this episode, I’ll take you through five daily ways to resist and overcome perfectionism and make your path to success clearer and easier.
After a quick reminder that there are still seats left for the workshop in January, I start things off by going through some of the characteristics perfectionists tend to display. These include black-and-white thinking, chronic procrastination, and people-pleasing, all of which create a toxic feedback loop that prevents the perfectionist from ever achieving their goals. In order to combat these toxic tendencies, I suggest a list of five daily ways to overcome perfectionism, including setting reasonable expectations instead of impossible standards, not making assumptions, and learning to handle feedback and criticism. Finally, I recommend online therapy as a great resource to help you deal with some of the issues I talk about today.
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This week on the Amazon Files:
- The Competent Wholesale Bundlers Workshop is coming up in a few weeks, and there are only a few seats left!
- The first step to handling perfectionism.
- Some characteristics that perfectionists tend to display.
- Chronic procrastination.
- How perfectionism gets in your way and causes you to give up on your dreams.
- Comparing high achievers and perfectionists
- Five daily ways to keep perfectionism at bay:
o #1: Set realistic expectations
o #2: Focus on small accomplishments
o #3: Stop making assumptions
o #4: Learn to handle feedback and criticism (with parameters
o #5: Enjoy the process
- Social media’s impact
- Online therapy
“I’m going to get tough with you. And I’m going to say some hard things. Why? Because I care. Because I love you. Because I care, because I want you to do your best, be your best, but not be perfect because none of us are. We never will be.”
- Kristin Ostrander
WATCH:
LISTEN:
Quotes:
“’If I make a mistake in front of others, I will not be able to recover from the humiliation. I can’t handle somebody being upset with me.’ Have you ever thought about those things? Those are real good indicators that you struggle with some perfectionism.”
“Procrastination is a sign of fear. And why are we afraid? We’re afraid of the impossible standards that we set for ourselves.”
“Would you rather quit something big or grand or build small sustainable habits over time?”
“Most perfectionists are fueled by results, and they’re fueled by a successful result. Well, if that is the gas that you put in your tank to keep moving, wouldn’t you want more, more often? Would you like to put gas in your tank every single day to push you a little bit more forward?”
“Find your success in the process. Enjoy as much of the process and the journey as possible.”
“Some of you are probably thinking, ‘Oh, those small steps are just not good enough, I must perform at an XYZ level way up here.’ My question to you is, ‘Or what?’”
“You don’t owe anybody an explanation for your goals. You don’t need anyone’s permission, you don’t need their approval. You could have whatever goals you want, for whatever reasons you want them, and you don’t need anybody’s permission or approval in order to do that.”
“Mistakes make us better. We can’t learn if we’re always putting out perfection.”
“Do not accept or acknowledge feedback or criticism from somebody who’s not in the game. Their opinion does not write you a check, it doesn’t pay your bills, so it’s not relevant.”
“You can accept feedback from a professional who knows exactly what to do and how to change and tweak your ideas, and try again, and get better, and try again after that and get better.”
“Yes, those things hurt. It’s just a bruise. It’s not a tattoo. You don’t have to wear it for the rest of your life. Bruises heal. Criticism kills nothing but our ego and our self-esteem.”
“Excellence is not perfection.”
“I think it’s so necessary every year to look back, to reflect, to see what you want in the future, but also see how far you’ve come. Progress, not perfection.”
“Twenty years ago, that was never a thing. You weren’t striving to impress somebody who lives in Arizona 3,000 miles away from you because they like to comment on all your Facebook stuff.”
“We all have this, like, negative thing, or some people do, around therapy, like, ‘Oh my gosh, she needs therapy,’ right? Heck yes, I do. Thank you very much. I wouldn’t be in the place I am right now without it.”
“Send it, ship it, list it. You’re not going to die.”
Related Content:
- 2022 Workshops - Coupon code: workshop50
- Wholesale Bundle System
- Email questions
- Learn With Us
- Coaching
- The Amazon Files Hub
Grow Your Amazon Business!
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Amazon Files, the show to help Amazon sellers along their business journey one step at a time with Amazon expert and your host, Kristin Ostrander. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show and leave us your honest review. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes with your friends on social media! Use the codeword TALK to join us on Facebook. Each week, Kristin hosts a live discussion on how to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget to check out our website and subscribe to our mailing list for even more resources.
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