The seductive allure of extraordinary returns, be it in the form of status, money or fame, is too strong for many of us to resist. The “Ponzi scheme of perfectionism” demands ever greater circles of “more” until the nagging difference between what is and what should be has metastasized throughout our lives. And, as with any Ponzi scheme, sooner or later the drive for perfection does not weather the test of reality and collapses…

If your drive for perfectionism is causing you distress and costing you mastery, check out our most recent publication “Nobody’s Perfect” (btw, a recovering perfectionist myself, I had to laugh out loud when I sensed my frustration upon discovering a few typos that had slipped into the text as a result of the editor’s work. Overcoming perfectionism is a work in progress…):

And in this spirit, our wishes for the new year are to…

•  embrace the thought of “ENOUGH” and focus on our strengths to be on top of our game,
•  make room for “NARCISSISM” and re-charge our batteries on a regular basis,
•  experiment with “FAILURE” and muster the courage to go for what we want,
•  be in the “FLOW” and welcome serendipity,
•  and put “PEOPLE FIRST”, prioritizing the “who” before the “what”.

 Other people matter. And so do you. Make 2014 count.