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December 19, 2025 35 mins

Brett and Joe have nailed the PERFECT episode, which means they can finally get this podcast launched! Now they just need to get the perfect album art, title, set…and the perfect list of everything they need to do before they can launch the perfect podcast!

In this episode, our hosts tackle everyone’s favourite Achilles heel: perfectionism. It shows up in individuals, teams, organizations, and entire societies. They explore where it comes from, why it has increased dramatically over the past decades, and how it narrows perception, creates internal chaos, and—paradoxically—produces worse results.

They discuss:

  • Perfectionism is fundamentally fear-based, not excellence-based
  • How perfectionism predicts the same negative health outcomes as chronic stress
  • The rise of perfectionism over the past 30 years and why things haven’t gotten better
  • Binary thinking and the illusion of a perfect end state
  • The childhood roots of perfectionism and chaotic environments
  • Why perfectionism actually creates the chaos it’s trying to prevent
  • How organizations unintentionally reward fear and stagnation
  • Practical ways to work with fear, the inner critic, and the nervous system

Related Research: 

How Perfectionist Leaders Stifle Creativity (Forbes)

Perfectionism Is Increasing (HBR)

Why Being A Perfectionist Is Bad For Your Health (Self)

Send us your questions on Twitter, through our website, or in our Circle community! 

Joe on X: @FU_JoeHudson
|Brett on X: @airkistler 
AOA on X: @artofaccomp

Visit Us: www.artofaccomplishment.com

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