The Sneakiest Career & Leadership Trap

This week, I want to tackle one of the sneakiest traps I see for people like you in your career & leadership…

Perfectionism

Perfectionism shows up in our lives as:

• Reworking projects until the deadline (or your energy) is gone.

• Hesitating to share because your idea doesn’t feel “ready.”

• Judging yourself against everyone else’s highlight reel. (Hi, it’s me!)

And yes, comparison is a BIG part of perfectionism. But it’s not the whole story. Comparison is one of the outcomes of perfectionism, not the definition.

Enter: Excellence

On a recent Mel Robbins podcast, Emma Grede (co-founder of Good American and powerhouse Skims investor) made an important distinction between perfectionism and excellence. And I think you and I both need to hear this:

• Perfectionism, as Emma said, is striving for flawlessness and approval, fueled by comparison.

• Excellence, on the other hand, is striving for progress and mastery, fueled by your own growth.

Excellence keeps your eyes on your own paper, where perfectionism pulls you into comparison quicksand.

The real truth is that no one else is like you. No one else has your instincts, your quirks, and your lived experiences (good and bad!).

So the next time perfectionism tells you to keep polishing instead of presenting, pause and ask yourself:

• Am I growing my skills?

• Am I doing the work with integrity?

• Am I delivering value that’s uniquely mine?

If you can confidently answer YES, congratulations—you’re practicing excellence! And that’s far better than perfection…

Listen to the Mel Robbins podcast episode with Emma Grede here. It’s worth a listen for all recovering perfectionists!