I have known Brian Cornell for many years. He has taken big companies to the executive suites of Safeway, Michael's stores, PepsiCo and Sam's Club since we met. Today he is Target's CEO. He knows firsthand the benefits of being dedicated to excellence. Part of his process is learning to be comfortable as a teacher and student.
Brian shared this story with me. “Mature leaders realize they are not perfect. I was criticized for wanting to be perfect early in my career. I wanted to make sure I was completely buttoned. One day my old boss sat me down and said, “Brian, you do a great job, you do an amazing job, you do an amazing job, you always use it fully. Brian uses this lesson every day as he leads to targeting storm clouds in today's modern business world.
Below are some suggestions to achieve excellence and to completely relax your attachment.
Love your imperfections
Stop trying to be perfect. You are inherently incomplete human. Acknowledge your perfectionism right out of the gate and see your life as a journey of experimentation and continuous learning. Be satisfied with the ambiguity and expect to make some mistakes. Practice mental strength and mental kindness. You deserve both.
Enough is enough. It works towards progress, not perfect. Expose yourself to the situation you fear, like the fear of embarrassment when you make a mistake in front of people. You can even practice being incomplete with others. It will develop your confidence and humility, even if it hurts. Recognise the tendency to worry about.
If you feel uneasy, try meditation or take a walk through nature.
• Stop judging because of incompleteness, defeating yourself, and recognizing the beauty of imperfection.
• Don't be afraid to take you out of your comfort zone and ask for feedback.
• Be sure you do a great job.
Stand up to your inner hijacker
Your perfectionist mind will play tricks on you. Change internal dialogue and self-talk. Throw cold water at your inner critic and stop comparing yourself to others. It distinguishes between what you can and cannot control. The more honest you are about the difference, the less time you waste and the less you experience.
Reconstruct who you are, how you think and act. Don't forget that you can change it. Acknowledge how your thoughts and feelings hijack you. Let go of the fear of being wrong. Note how the foreign powers of your life, namely bosses, colleagues, teachers, and social pressures, can determine your perfectionism. Are they putting pressure on you to be perfect? Are you influenced by the success of others? Remember: control how these forces affect you.
• Tell yourself a positive thought about your performance.
• Know your most vulnerable situation, like when you receive negative feedback from others.
• Knowing that you are stiff and overorganizing your world.
Balance your work
Perfectionist work is not a productive job. Always release the pressure that is generated. Be flexible to your overly standard and you may burn out, or when you stop being creative or productive, know your breaking point. Remove your inner rulebook that suppresses you and imposes unnecessary restrictions. Please note that time is realistically scheduled and wrapped in detail. Sometimes, don't forget to first tackle your most difficult task and take a break all day.
If you happen to live or work with a perfectionist, beware of their negative impact on you. The key is to continue to engage in healthy boundaries between the two of them. When they show the perfectionist side, don't take their actions personally. Don't deny your own feelings, develop your own self-esteem. And don't be afraid to accept your own imperfections.
•If you're a perfectionist, be flexible with overreaching standards that can blind you and bind you.
• Set smart goals that are concrete, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Being smart will help you avoid procrastination.
• Separate work time from family and personal time. When doing so, make sure you are with your partner, children and friends.
Act with constructive impatience
Perfectionism also affects how you interact with others in the workplace. Practice constructive impatience to minimize the impact. The constructive aspect aims to create a psychologically safe environment for the people around you. It's a place where people feel good about themselves, are empowered to take risks, and are open to new ways of doing things. You are understanding, patient and showing people they are valued.
Another aspect of you is impatience and wanting immediate results so visible. So you push and demand your requests not only on yourself, but on those around you. We hope that everyone, including yourself, will develop their abilities and pursue their goals diligently. A combination of constructive thinking and impatience avoids the influence of perfectionism and promotes excellent work.
•Create a healthy and safe environment for people while focusing on outcomes.
• Involve people into decisions while tweaking them from their comfort zone.
• Set higher goals while helping people find meaning in their work.
From birth: Independence: Throw away your luggage to live a more fulfilling life Bob Rosen, 2025.
