Episode 68 – Perfectionism and Goal Setting

“Research shows that perfectionism hampers success” (Brene Brown).

Perfectionism can show up in many aspects of your life. It can stop a writer from getting past the first page or prevent them from pressing publish.

In this episode, Mariëlle and I talk about overcoming our tendencies to lean towards perfectionism.

In striving to be perfect, we focus on the wrong things. This has never been more obvious than when writing a novel. Some people become stuck on rewriting the same line over and over, and for others, it’s the need for just one more draft.

Perfectionism can even stop you from setting specific goals because of the fear that you can never achieve what you want, and if you do manage to set a goal, it can keep you perfecting the detail instead of moving forwards to the finish line.

Do you feel that perfectionism gets in the way of your success?

In what way does perfectionism stop you from achieving your goals?

Episode 67 – How Comparisonitis Affects Goals

In this episode, we continue our theme of setting effective goals to turn you into a successful author.

There are times when it is natural to compare ourselves to others. Having a role model who inspires us can help us to identify what we want to achieve.

Comparisonitis can be dangerous because it is about comparing what someone else has, or you perceive them to have, with what you’d like to have. Nowhere is this more prevalent than on social media, where individuals portray themselves as happy, success and fortunate. They show a side of themselves that they want others to see, and it is often not the whole picture. You and your situation are unique, and other people’s goals might not fit your situation.

It can be helpful to compare what you have achieved this year against what you achieved last, but this also has dangers. Judgement needs to go to allow you to examine the circumstances with curiosity.

Do you suffer from comparisonitis? For the next 24 hours, count the number of times you compare yourself to others. How do you think this affects you?