Imperfection, the New Superpower!
As we welcome the new possibilities of this New Year, I invite you to journey with me into a new perspective around the drawbacks of precision, flawlessness, and perfectionism.
I’m a recovering perfectionist, but my journey as a leadership coach has forced me to embrace imperfection with an open heart. Easier said than done, right?
The truth is… at age 62, imperfection has helped me stand confidently in a more authentic version of myself (even if it’s messier!)
Plus, the “imperfect” version of me is WAY more fun, forgiving (of myself and others), flexible, and resourceful—especially when I’m navigating challenges and adversity.
Even though leaning into imperfection can be a territory of scary unknowns, dreadful mistakes, embarrassing dead-ends, and plenty of crash landings… embracing imperfection is a more intelligent way to live. Let me show you why!
5 Ways Imperfection Can Be Your Superpower
SEEKING PERFECT NEVER MOVES YOU FORWARD. If you hold the goal of perfection, you hold yourself back from your creativity and ingenuity. Trial and error is how people learn! Your imperfections and the unexpected outcomes they invite enable your work to become great…and sometimes what started as a mistake becomes magical discovery!
IMPERFECTIONS HELP YOU STAND OUT IN THE CROWD. Through counter-intuitive routes, your unusual perspectives can signal to others the real significance of your work. If your job were "perfect" and fit in with everyone else's ideas, everyone else would have done it already… It's only the bravest of us who are BOLD enough to step into our real (imperfect) work.
PERFECT IS RESTRICTIVE. Even if you achieve something "perfect," it's NOT sustainable. How can you improve on "perfect"? It's a dead-end with a limiting outcome that doesn't allow growth or improvement. Goofs are greatly undervalued! When you claim your imperfection, you welcome learning, adaptation, and modifications you might only have considered through stumbling. Imperfect outcomes create chances for you to become better, faster, stronger, and more informed… so CLAIM every opportunity to learn something new!
PERFECT ISN'T TRUSTWORTHY, LIKABLE, OR AUTHENTIC. The mess is where the magic happens… Besides, "perfect" is a lie: Nobody is perfect! When you reveal your imperfections, struggles, and "face-plants,” you become more relatable and accessible to others—especially those who energize your spirit. People trust the honest souls who tell real stories, because they're the ones who give us hope and humanize life's journey.
TRYING TO "BE PERFECT" IS A COVER-UP FOR FEAR. The most convenient way to avoid putting your brilliance out into the world is to aim for perfection. If you hold back on releasing an idea, product, or service because it's "not ready yet," then YOU have given up on YOURSELF. You must take advantage of the opportunity to glean new insight, pivot your marketing strategy, and improve your sales pitch!Stop using perfection as a cover-up for your fear… Rather than "being perfect," I invite you to "be willing" to put something imperfect into the world. (And if fear is the only thing holding you back, that's good news! It's something you can overcome.)
So, as you begin your own version of THRIVE in '25, I invite you to embrace your IMPERFECT SELF.
The odds are in your favor: There’s only one way to be perfect, but there are tens of thousands of ways to be imperfect.
May your 2025 be FULL of wonderfully messy insights!
Until next time,
💫 Andrea
P.S. Whenever you're ready to take the next steps along YOUR path to a well-lived life, I've got a handful of resources to help -
#1 Get on the waiting list for future NCR offerings that will help you practice and implement the Name, Claim & Reframe Method - one step at a time!
#2. Buy your copy of my best-selling book: Name, Claim & Reframe. Learn how to align with your divine feminine ingenuity with my 3-step strategy that will help you gracefully navigate your path to a well-lived life.
#3. Order the *new* Name, Claim & Reframe Workbook! Learn how to model resourceful, strategic, and graceful leadership by elevating the energy frequency of the room with the NCR Workbook - including practical tools you can implement right now.
Take my quiz and find out: What is your leading leadership energy?
