Escaping the Perfection Trap: How Letting Go Boosted My Success and Happiness
Escaping the Perfection Trap: How Letting Go Boosted My Success and Happiness For years, I held myself to impossibly high standards, demanding perfection from every task, relationship, and project. I had this unrelenting drive to result in success. Instead, it resulted in exhaustion, irritation, and unhappiness. As I got more focused on achieving flawless results, I realised that perfectionism was not an asset but an addictive loop that sapped my energy and that of others. My turning point came when I read Marion Woodman's Addiction to Perfection. Woodman's work provides important insights into the dark side of perfectionism, examining
Ending the Trap: How Putting Myself First Increased My Performance at Work
For a long time, I had the misconception that working nonstop was the key to success. I sacrificed my relationships, mental health, and equilibrium in the process of pushing myself to my limits in pursuit of my professional aspirations. While I accomplished a lot, I should have paid more attention to the people and experiences that really mattered because I was too preoccupied with getting things done. I learned with time that success at the expense of one's health couldn’t be maintained. My mornings look drastically different now. At five in the morning, I make it a point to
How to Avoid Burnout in Leadership Roles: Unfiltered Tips
A leader's burnout is a genuine thing, and it can strike without warning. As a leader, you push yourself and your team to achieve while juggling duties, making high-stakes decisions, and always being in the spotlight. The harsh reality, though, is that your company will fail along with you if you neglect your health. Here is what you should do to keep from becoming burned out, so let's get right to the point. See the Warning Signs Before They Derail You Burnout takes time to set in. It builds slowly, and if you're not careful, it will engulf you.
Understanding various personality types will help you lead when “surrounded by idiots”
Have you ever felt like you’re in a room full of complete idiots as a leader? Although managers and employers frequently find this frustrating, the truth is often more nuanced. Recognising and accommodating the wide range of team members' personalities is the key to effective leadership in challenging situations. This blog delves into the four personality types defined in Thomas Erikson’s book Surrounded by Idiots—Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue—and provides practical tactics for effectively leading each one. It draws on the ideas from the book to do so. According to Erikson, there are four main personality types, each of
Learning to Let Go: A Lesson in Life and Professional Growth
This is not a piece for you to use to justify giving up and quitting without trying. This is about those moments when you know you gave it your all and are struggling to admit it. One of the most challenging things to learn is to let go. I was unable to break the vicious cycle of attempting to breathe new life into things that had long since lost their relevance to me. Whether in my personal relationships or my career, I wasted a lot of effort clinging on when I should have been releasing. It's the kind of
Training Yourself to Become Anti-Fragile: The Neuropsychology of Resilience
Resilience, the ability to bounce back from adversity, is crucial for overcoming life's challenges. However, the concept of anti-fragility—the ability not just to withstand adversity but to thrive and become stronger in the face of it—has recently gained significant attention. Understanding the neuropsychology behind resilience and learning strategies to become anti-fragile can greatly enhance our capacity to excel under pressure. The Science Behind Resilience Resilience is rooted in various neurobiological mechanisms involving key brain regions and neurotransmitter systems. The amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex play pivotal roles in regulating emotional responses and managing stress. Prefrontal Cortex: This region is
I Was Over-Critical of Myself
I brutally punished myself for a significant portion of my life. No matter how hard I tried, my inner critic would always find something new to point out about how inadequate I was. This extremely critical voice impacted my entire life, affecting my sense of self-worth and self-esteem, as well as my ability to accomplish any goal I set. I felt trapped in an endless loop of negativity due to the severe self-criticism I had developed. As a child, I had high expectations for myself, believing that nothing less than perfection would suffice. My brain and grades gave me
Narcissism in Management
Narcissism in management is a multifaceted and intricate phenomenon. Although it is frequently linked to detrimental characteristics such as arrogance and manipulativeness, specific narcissistic characteristics can also contribute favourably to organisational success and leadership. This blog offers a perspective on narcissism in management grounded in evidence, emphasising both the advantages and disadvantages. Narcissism is distinguished by a lack of empathy, a need for admiration, and grandiosity. In the context of management, these characteristics can be expressed in various ways, affecting the organisation's dynamics and the manager's behaviour. Narcissistic managers frequently exhibit a high degree of confidence and charisma, which
Loneliness in Management: Overcoming and Comprehending the Silent Struggle
In the fast-paced business environment, management positions frequently offer the potential for professional fulfilment, responsibility, and prestige. Nevertheless, numerous managers face a mute and pervasive issue: loneliness. Loneliness is concealed beneath the façade of success and authority. This blog delves into the distinctive factors that contribute to loneliness in management positions, its adverse effects on mental fitness and performance, and the strategies that can be employed to address this frequently forgotten challenge. Although loneliness can affect anyone, individuals in managerial roles encounter unique obstacles that exacerbate feelings of isolation. Managers are frequently responsible for making challenging decisions that significantly
Blinded by Expectations: My Failure to Appreciate My Parents
For many years, I fiercely condemned my parents and emphasised their imperfections. I concentrated on what they didn't know. I focused on what they should have done. I was so focused on the harm created by their omissions. I was disappointed. I wanted better. I expected better. When I went to friends' houses, I compared how other parents were. I compared various aspects of others with features I did not enjoy in my parents. Growing up, I sometimes underestimated the importance of the teachings and values that my parents instilled in me. As a young adult, I found their
