This lesson changed how I show up to my life + work

My 2023 threw me a lot curveballs. From an unanticipated chronic injury to an intense personal development journey, some of the things I battled - and am still battling - were HARD. But I’m a firm believer that every circumstance in life has a lesson to teach if we’re willing to learn it. So here’s one I’ve learned (and am regularly remembering).

Ready for it?

Perfectionism kills progress. 

Last year as I worked to create this business of mine, perfectionism showed up in EVERY.DANG.CORNER. Like trying to find the perfect name, logo, website design, slogan, audience, marketing tool, etc. If you’ve read anything by Brene Brown, you’ve likely heard a thing or two about perfectionism. Last year I experienced first-hand her conclusion that perfectionism is a shield that we put up to self-protect against vulnerability. 

It makes sense that we do this, right? Vulnerability - sharing our full, unfiltered self - can feel like stepping out naked onto a stage. Not something I want to do anytime soon. And when we do something new or different, especially in the public eye, it can be difficult to show up vulnerably.

So sly, never-satisfied perfectionism steps in to ask, “Are you sure you want to say THAT? Maybe you should just redo that a few hundred more times before you put it on the internet”. And BOOM just like that, the momentum we had and the hard work we’ve done stalls. The door to self-doubt is wide open, and it does not appear to be shutting anytime soon.  

Guess what that sounds a lot like? Fear. Perfectionism is self-protection and it’s also fear in a fancy coat.  

Here’s what I realized about perfectionism:

It may have protected me from a little fear or even embarrassment, but it also shielded me from a purpose I have and worse, from being the most authentic version of myself.

Being vulnerable about who I am and where I’m at is how I operate. It’s how I connect with people (one of my highest values!) and how I create honest, meaningful community. At the end of my life, I don’t want to look back and think “I did it all perfectly”, I want to say, “I was brave enough to try”.   

Where is perfectionism showing up for you right now, friend? What is it holding you back from?

This is my encouragement to you -

We all feel scared sometimes. If perfectionism is the voice you’re hearing right now, pause to name what it is - your mind trying to protect you from something new, something maybe you’re not an expert in just yet. And then take a minute to connect with who you really are. What would that fullest, best, unfiltered version of you do in this circumstance? 

We get to decide how we experience life and what version of ourselves we show up as. Let’s not sacrifice who we are for the sake of appearing to have it all together.

Let’s be the kind of courageous individuals who dare to live fully as the authentic version of ourselves.  

What’s your next step? 

Cheering you on,

Cara