The Perfect Hamster Wheel

If you’ve ever dealt with perfectionism, you’re likely familiar with this spiral or the perfectionism cycle (below). The way to catch yourself in Perfectionism is to notice when your comfort zone gets smaller. Do you stay away from risks? Do you hide? Do you lose confidence? Do you overthink or beat yourself up? Those are all signs that you are in the spiral. Believe me, I know this one all too well. A tried and true way out is to find a team (co-conspirators) you can rely on – to push you when you need it, to lift you when you do it, and to catch you when failure happens. If you innovate, you will fail. Ask any innovator whether they have failed. It will be ok. Real co-conspirators will be there for you, as you will be there for them. Now, break the cycle and get out of that spiral.

References and Resources

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant; Type: Book

Below is a helpful visual for those perfectionists out there.