Avoid The ‘Perfectionist Trap’ And Stop Comparing Your Successes To Your Role Models

The ‘perfectionist trap’ happens when you see the successes of the people you look up to and aspire to them, forgetting (or not seeing) the hard work and failures required for them to get there. You try, you struggle, and assume you should give up. Don’t: they’re more like you than you know.

The video above describes how seeing the successful end results of masters, but not all their past imperfect projects or other failures, leads us to compare ourselves to an impossible standard. The best way to pull yourself out of this mental trap is to remember to look at the failures of those who inspire you. Most well-known artists, musicians, and even business people have interviews and books about their journey to where they, often including times when they weren’t doing so well. By studying their failures, you can even learn how to pick yourself back up when things aren’t going well for you.

Remember, everyone has to start somewhere, no matter how talented or successful they appear today.

The Perfectionist Trap [School of Life (YouTube)]