The Antidote to Perfectionism

Dear Aditya,

Sometimes, stuckness creeps in when you least expect it, like a quiet thief that manages to hijack your entire state of mind before you even notice.

Here's what happened. I had planned a workshop for our students, stressing the importance of punctuality. I'd spoken to them about it passionately, given them reminders, and they'd even promised me they'd sleep on time and show up early. But when the day arrived, chaos unfolded. Some came late. Others missed it entirely due to illness. The picture-perfect plan I had in my mind crumbled.

For a moment, I lost my calm. I found myself trapped in this loop of "It shouldn't be like this!" But then, I took a step back. I realized that clinging to my perfect picture was only making things worse. So I decided to shift gears. Instead of berating myself or the students, I turned the situation into a moment of reflection for all of us.

This experience reminded me of something profound: the cost of perfectionism.

Perfectionism is sneaky. It parades as a virtue, convincing us that our high standards are what make us strong and capable. But more often than not, it paralyzes us.

Remember Dory's famous line from Finding Nemo? "Just keep swimming." She doesn't tell him to solve everything at once. She doesn't demand perfection. She simply encourages him to take the next step.

That's what excellentism, as coined by Professor Patrick Gaudreau, is all about. Excellentism asks us to aim high but stay flexible.

When you're feeling stuck in real time, here's a simple tool to help you break free: The "SHIFT Framework"

Stop: Pause and take a deep breath. Interrupt the spiral of frustration or overwhelm.
Help: Ask yourself, "What's one thing I can do right now to help the situation?"
Imagine: Visualize the worst-case scenario and then the best-case scenario. Most times, reality sits comfortably in between.
Flex: Adapt your plan. What's a small tweak or compromise you can make to move forward?
Trust: Trust yourself and the process. Remind yourself that progress, not perfection, is the goal.

So, here's a question for you: What's one thing you're stuck on right now, and how can you use a small action to "just keep swimming"?

In fratitude,
adi