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How Workplace Perfectionism Accelerates Burnout
Description
Lucas and Luna explore how perfectionism at work doesn't just exhaust you—it accelerates burnout by creating a cycle of over-effort, self-criticism, and reduced recovery. They dig into research from psychologist Thomas Curran showing that perfectionism has increased 33% among young professionals since 1989, and why setting impossibly high standards at the office backfires. Lucas shares a specific case from a Fexingo listener, a mid-level marketing manager who logged 60-hour weeks redoing presentation decks until she crashed. Luna brings data on how perfectionists actually underperform on complex tasks because they're too afraid to hand in good enough work. Together they outline three practical shifts: reframing 'perfect' as 'complete,' scheduling deliberate imperfection, and using peer feedback to calibrate standards. The episode ends with a reflective question about what we'd attempt if we only had to be good enough.