Follow Your Curiosity, Not Your Pursuit of Perfection

Many of us know the feelings of shame or doubt as we attempt to start something new. Whether we admit it or not, we are expecting perfection. Over time, perfectionism can cause depression, stress, and burnout. So, how do we combat this? A Psychology Today article titled, “Pursue Excellence, Not Perfection,” has a suggestion: curiosity.

Curious people have a “growth mindset” which leads them to explore and pivot, all while enjoying the challenge. Colin DeYoung, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, defines exploration as "any behavior or cognition motivated by the incentive reward value of uncertainty."

Many know that dopamine is released when we achieve a goal, but it is also released when we are in pursuit of it. Pairing our curiosity with a pursuit of excellence - the aim to improve - allows us to experiment wisely and place a positive value on the process rather than the destination.


Composed by Flora Pollack, communications assistant.