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Perfectionism in Disguise: How Self-Growth Became Another Standard to Meet with Ellen Hendriksen • 382

Jan 7, 2025

01:07:27

We will learn:

The surprising difference between healthy high standards and destructive perfectionism
How to recognize when your good intentions have become rigid rules that no longer serve you
Why true connection comes from sharing our messy parts, not our perfect performance

Have you ever caught yourself putting something off because you're waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect idea, or the perfect version of yourself to emerge? Maybe you don't consider yourself a perfectionist because your closet isn't color-coded or your life doesn't look Instagram-perfect. But what if perfectionism shows up in the way you hold yourself back?

What's fascinating is that perfectionism isn't actually about being perfect – it's about never feeling good enough. And in our current culture of "hustle harder" and "live your best life," this feeling of inadequacy has found the perfect breeding ground. We're even trying to perfect the way we practice self-care or show up authentically – can you see the irony?

Today our guest is Ellen Hendriksen, a clinical psychologist and author of "How to Be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists." She brings a fresh perspective to the perfectionism conversation by showing us how our values can secretly transform into rigid rules, and how true growth comes not from perfect execution, but from authentic alignment with what matters most to us.

Links from the episode: