Perfectionism Is Ruining Your Life (What to Do About It)

A few months ago, I interviewed Professor Thomas Curran about perfectionism. He explained what perfectionism is, why it's problematic, and how we can work to overcome it. So in this video, I'm sharing his best insights and ideas so hopefully you get some useful tips on how to beat perfectionism. Enjoy!

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By the way, you can watch this video in a few other languages by changing the audio settings xx

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WHO AM I?
If we haven’t yet before - Hey 👋 I’m Ali, a doctor-turned-entrepreneur and I’ve somehow become the world’s most followed productivity expert. Through my videos here on this channel, my podcast Deep Dive and writing, I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you be more productive and build a life you love.

PS: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a kickback from 😜

⌚️Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:33 - The Productivity Paradox
3:39 - The Perfectionism Trap
6:21 - Imposter Syndrome
8:08 - Set Reasonable Standards
11:51 - Surrendering
13:37 - Set Failure As Success
14:46 - Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
16:18 - Sketch Your Goals

[badass]

Blame school for being a perfectionist... they literally punish you for failure and don't let you correct yourself after making a mistake, but punish you instead.

[zahinazham]

"I need the perfect camera, perfect mic, perfect lighting before i start my youtube channel". ended up starting my channel 3 years too late

[cutsontheway]

I came across this video, and realized that I am facing this problem all of my time. I try to be perfect in every aspect rather than embracing myself and just start doing what I want to do.

[TheSismeon]

That's such an important topic. I used to be such a perfectionist and put so much pressure on myself that I simply wouldn't look for help, in fear of disappointing the people who said they were proud of me or inspired by my hard work, which lead me to burning out, feeling isolated and overworked. I took some steps to try to fix my perfectionism and imposter syndrome and I made progress but there's still quite a way to go.

[bravecarnage]

..I have been battling random anxiety due to thinking I have to be high standards, in a short is the video I needed....“ progress over perfection "😢😢

[wilbenportuguez]

Thank you for making this video about perfectionism. I have been in the perfectionism trap in the past trying to be the best. I'm recovering from my anxiety and depression and it's been going well that I can say I'm more comfortable in making mistakes and accepting them as learning opportunities.

[lambotwentyseven]

Haven’t watched the full video yet, but this has been my whole life, even though I’ve recognised it in the past I still struggle to start because I don’t want to fail.
Thank you for the solutions I know will be in this video!

[reynardmhlahlo]

Feeling myself as someone who is in the perfectionism trap and I think I am definitely at the part where I am feeling guilty. You publishing this video has helped by verbalising the way I I am about to just start what I have been avoiding. Thank you Ali.

[gloriaobuzome]

This same issues almost made me miss the beautiful opportunity of baby steps.
Picked up my channel this year and it's been a beautiful experience 😊.
I'm not getting the traction that I want yet, but I'm so glad that i started. I'm learning so much along the way, and just remember that if there's no beginning because you're seeking perfection, there will also be no ground where you will even have to make an improvement 😊. There's actually so much beauty in imperfect things, because you will have the option of improving it and getting better someday 😊.

[ricardamaier]

Thank you for making this video. I really beat myself up on something in my work yesterday that did not go as I expected it to go. This put me more at ease.

[henryliu]

Ali, thanks so much for creating these videos! I was a perfectionist my whole life which pulled me backwards both academically and professionally. I decide to make a change today and tell myself that something is better than nothing.

[islamicstatus]

Thank you for the video. This is what i need for my coming exam ❤

[Adityakittoo]

Being in this circumstance and exhausting myself, today I asked God for help and surprisingly this useful video popped up.

[setarehmizani]

After watching this, I realized how much perfectionism exists in different aspects of my life and I really have to try to get rid of it.✌️

[jonathanmw]

Thank you Ali and team. You’ve encapsulated lots of helpful tips in a practical and accessible way.

[crystal.chantel]

Great video but I also wanted to mention that I read your book. It is the book I needed! So many other productivity books have big ideas, lofty goals, or are just outright condescending. This book was a breath of fresh air. It is so practical, realistic, and relatable! It has actually helped and improved my productivity. I will definitely read it again regularly. Well done Ali! 👏🏾

[penghanng]

This is an incredible video Ali! I guess to summarize, getting rid of perfectionism is to allow ourselves to get motivated to "do the work" and not work so hard to the point of burn out. And ultimately, the key to success is to simply put in the effort - day by day, week by week. Amazing lesson.

[xkz]

To get started I much prefer focusing on the input (e.g. I will spend the next 1 hour researching the topic, bookmarking resources and putting interesting findings on this random doc/ppt) than the ideal output, and if it's outside my comfort zone, I will tell myself "let's do it, and if I'm not good at it (yet) then let's do it badly"

[heebakhalid]

Your editor is amazing this video is so satisfying

[N...]

Gracias Ali por traducir tus videos al español ya que tiene un gran impacto en mi vida y la mayoría de la comunidad hispanohablante ❤