PLAYING-IT-SAFE

74. The upsides and downsides of perfectionism (part 1)

PLAYING-IT-SAFE

Show Notes

There is nothing wrong with striving to do things right and perfectly. It depends on how often you do it, when you do it, and how it works in your life in the long run.

What is unhealthy is demanding perfectionism, which involves demanding that you are perfect and do things perfectly, otherwise, you may think of yourself as unworthy, not good enough, or a screw-up. Those particular patterns of perfectionistic actions can generate much anxiety, depression, loneliness, and insurmountable levels of stress, even when it feels good to do things right and perfectly in the moment.

Andrew Nalband is the Chief Executive Officer at Thunk Notes, a tool for thinking and journaling.

In this conversation, Andrew genuinely and kindly shares his struggles with perfectionism, and how he skillfully manages them these days.

Key Takeaways

The raw version of how perfectionistic actions show up The plus, benefits, and cons of perfectionistic actions How perfectionistic actions show up in all areas of life If-then thoughts How to hold our mind lightly The beginnings of practicing mindfulness How to cultivate presence in your day-to-day life

(*) Show notes and resources of this episode

(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe

(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in your head

(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr. Z. ACT courses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from PLAYING-IT-SAFE

Oct 15, 2026

Two hours at dinner. You were there for about twenty minutes of it.

Oct 2, 2026

There is a difference between having a description and being one.

Sep 23, 2026

There's an email that's been sitting in your drafts for eleven days, and the only thing stopping it is one sentence in your head that you've never checked. This episode is about defusion, one of the six core processes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and about what happens when a thought and the world get glued together so tightly you can't tell them apart.

Sep 16, 2026

Your mind runs a control agenda all day long. Some of its strategies are obvious: distraction, keeping busy, opting out. And some look nothing like control at all: the silver lining, the blessing count, the lesson. Same job, better manners. This episode is about acceptance, the first of the six processes in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and about the half of the definition almost nobody teaches.

Aug 21, 2026

You're not avoiding the conversation. You're avoiding how it will feel to have it.

See all episodes →