Recovering perfectionist

As a recovering perfectionist, I wish I’d made these realisations earlier in my life…

However, I can also say that through my corporate career, I have seen these traits be rewarded in people before. As a former HR Manager, I have absolutely dished out awards for…

❌ Going above and beyond

❌ Working extra hours

❌ Smashing targets

❌ Never complaining

❌ Working autonomously

❌ Producing excellent results

❌ Being a hard worker

In a recent Facebook Live, I talked of waiting in a hospital waiting room and a senior manager came in to award the department as ‘Department of the Month’ for all of the above. Everyone applauded. Nobody stopped to consider how knackered the staff were, how under paid they are, and how over worked they are.

Rather than celebrating along with the rest of the waiting room, I just sat there quietly feeling a bit sad about it all. This is one of the many reasons I no longer work in the corporate world.

But it’s not just there, is it?

Just yesterday I was reading with my daughter and when she’d finished a sentence, I said “Perfect”. And she looked at me with a big, warm smile.

It’s so deeply engrained into our culture to perform for others and seek reward for validation.

I don’t know about you, but there are times I’m awake at night over thinking a mistake I made. Sometimes that mistake could have been 10 years in the past. But it still keeps me awake at night.

I have to constantly remind myself that perfect doesn’t exist. And it’s ok to be flawed.

I’m Luke, and I’m a recovering perfectionist.