The Curse of Perfectionism

The Curse of Perfectionism is when you think you need to be perfect at something, and when you allow that thinking to hold you back from taking risks and trying new things because you are nervous or afraid you are going to mess up or fail (or miss a shot).

I knew a basketball player that was afraid to shoot because he was afraid of missing. He let The Curse of Perfectionism keep him from taking good shots in practice and games. Even though I told him over and over again that most players miss most of the shots that they shoot, he was still so worried about missing that he wouldn't shoot. When he would shoot and miss, he would put his head down and lose his confidence.

We had to work hard to create a growth mindset and learning environment where we maintained high expectations while letting everyone know that mistakes are a part of the learning process. We were open and honest in saying that the best learn quickly from their mistakes so that they don't repeat them over and over again, but the best also act with courage to get past their nervousness and fears. You can't be great without having the courage to overcome your fears. You can't be great without going for it. You can't be great without missing a few shots along the way.

Our players needed to know that they can't shoot just any shot. They had to work on their shooting in practice and outside of practice, but they also had to know that the more time they put into shooting and the more reps and shots that they did on their own shooting the ball, the more confidence they would have.

For our player, we watched game and practice film so that we could identify good shots and spots for him. We worked before and after practice on shooting those shots that we identified for him so that he could build up his confidence and efficiency. We told him that we would be more upset with him passing up good shots than we would if he missed. He got the picture, he got better, and we got better.

Don't let perfectionism hold you back. Put in the time and work to build up the confidence that you need to go play the game like you want to play it.

1 - Is there an area of your life where the fear of messing up is holding you back?

2 - Do you know and truly understand that nobody is perfect, everybody makes mistakes, and making mistakes is part of the learning process?

3 - What is one thing that you can do to fight against The Curse of Perfectionism?