Recovering perfectionist?

If, like me, you’re a recovering perfectionist, I have a two-word antidote for you.


Early in my public speaking career I was preparing to give a personal talk.

I rehearsed a lot, trying to get every word just right. I practiced on my own, and in front of a friend to get feedback. I recorded myself, and listened back to make further adjustments.

On the day, I started off fine. But halfway through, my mind went completely blank.

It felt like I was suspended in time. There was white noise in my ears and silence in the room. I’d almost certainly stopped breathing.

I spied my water bottle and walked over to take a sip. Walking back, I took a breath… and picked up the thread.

And realised afterwards that no one cared about the stumble. They cared about the story I told.

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"Wabi sabi" is an ancient Japanese concept that calls us to embrace imperfection, simplicity, and authenticity.

Intrinsically linked to Japanese aesthetics, it’s the perfect antidote to that drive for perfection.

"Wabi sabi" is based on the premise that:

✨ All things are imperfect, including ourselves.
✨ True connection comes not just from the head, but from the heart.
✨ Less, is more.

Think about it from a communications standpoint:

🤔 How often do we hold ourselves back, waiting to find the perfect words, deliver a flawless presentation, or answer every question without hesitation?

💬 What if we allowed a pause, a stumble, or an unpolished sentence to be part of the conversation?

🌱 Or stripped down our presentation to the bare essentials? Just enough to get our message across, convincingly?

What a relief that would be.

"Wabi sabi" frees us from the pressure to be perfect.

Gives us space to show up just as we are.

And reminds us: Your voice, as it is, is worthy of being heard.

How can you embrace "wabi sabi" in the way you speak up today?


Photo by Thor Alvis on Unsplash