"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people.

It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life,

and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft." 

- Anne Lamot, Author

Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy

Mujeres y Allies,

We all have experienced that moment when we question ourselves at work--can I do this assignment? Do I have what it takes to lead this team? It’s normal to feel anxious about new work assignments or a promotion.  

But there is a “confidence gap” between men and women. Women will apply for jobs they feel certain they are qualified to perform. Men will apply based on the confidence they feel on how well they’ll master the job.  New research points to the struggle women force upon themselves to be absolutely, 100% perfect about everything all the time.  Yes, perfectionism can hold back your career success! Let’s understand three personal and social dynamics behind perfectionism and free ourselves from the unhealthy ways this hurts our lives, our work and our families.

Now let’s get into today’s hacks!  
Uno, dos y tres. Let’s do this con ganas.

The desire to be professional and demonstrate your skills, talents and capabilities is part of everyday worklife.  Yes, you spell check your documents before sending them. Yes, you re-read that email to make sure it says what you want. It’s great to strive to be your best self.   But do you rewrite your report or your email 3 or 4 times -- even after your colleagues said it was fine?  This is an example about being excessively focused on a perfect and final outcome.  The reality is that even if you write the perfect memo you cannot control how it will be seen or received by others. You can only control your own perceptions and emotions.

Many women and people of color who started careers in the 1970’s will say that the bar was twice as high for them during the early days of the Civil Rights movement.  To succeed on the job meant working twice as hard and proving ourselves worthy to have a seat at the table. If we begin to believe that only “perfect” women should be allowed in the C-Suite--we are catering to the double standards that cannot be part of an inclusive workplace culture.  Let’s not play that game!

For me that means having radical acceptance, because….

No matter how hard you try to avoid it--failure has or will be part of your life, too. There will be a poor presentation, a paper with a typo that got sent, or a conversation that goes badly.  Perfectionists often fear failure and work hard to avoid it at all costs. In truth, failures actually help us grow, learn and become stronger because as we do recover,  we see new strengths and learn how to move forward. This is so much the case that some advocate keeping a Failure Resume. Look within your own beliefs and ask what triggers those fears--this is where your own growth may emerge.

That’s it. #3LVCareerHacks on freeing ourselves from striving for perfection.  
Got a comment for us? Give us a shout at @SavvyLatinaInfo @LatinaVIDA360 or on our Facebook Group. We’d love to hear from you!

If you’ve made one of the CareerHack tips work for you, we’d like to feature you in the next LatinaVIDA360 Career Power Hacks Podcast! Let us hear from you.

Live Your VIDA with Intention!

--Abrazos,

Your LV Familia!

P. S. Remember, here are the other LatinaVIDA resources for you:

• Evernote Notebook of Curated Work-Life Resources, Readings and Tips

• Join our Private Facebook Group

• LatinaVIDA360 Podcast Latina Leaders in Conversation and NEW Career Power Hacks

• Our #Slack Community to Share Experiences with LatinaVIDA Circle Guide

• Past #3LVCareerHacks Newsletters (please share with friends and family)

• Latina Cubicle Confidential: A Personal Blog from our Co-Founders

RESOURCES