Lesson 1: Let Go of Perfectionism | Oliver Burkeman

“New year, new you.” It’s a phrase we hear every January — a catchy marketing slogan crafted to sell gym memberships and juice cleanses. While some take the sentiment seriously, the emergence of “Quitter’s Day” (observed around January 10) highlights just how fleeting these resolutions often are. But what if the choice wasn’t limited to “new you” or “old you”? What if change didn’t require reinventing yourself entirely? Author Oliver Burkeman offers an intriguing alternative. In this video lesson, he introduces his philosophy of “imperfectionism” and how it can guide you toward a vibrant and ever-evolving life. The Truth About Perfectionism Perfectionism can come in many forms: An internal demand that your work meet a perfect standard Feeling like you should be on top of all your to-dos Pleasing everybody Feeling perfectly confident about the things you’re doing Perfectionism is pouring your time, effort, and attention into feeling like you’ve done something perfectly (instead of actually doing things in reality). Our desire to control everything makes sense in an unpredictable world. But perfectionism is a kind of control that’s impossible to achieve. Our quest for perfection tends to squeeze out the vividness and vibrancy that makes life worth living. In this sense, even if we succeed, we fail. When we try to control all things, our lives can lack the spontaneity we value from being alive. Embracing Imperfectionism Imperfectionism is an approach to life where we take as a given that nothing will ever be completely under our control. Once we stop fighting for perfection, our energy is unleashed to dive into what we want. When developing a new habit, a perfectionist might change their life by trying to become a new kind of person. An imperfectionist might focus on practicing a small part of the new habit today. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Oliver Burkeman: Oliver Burkeman is a bestselling author and journalist. He is best known for Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (2021), a self-help book on reframing productivity for happiness. He also publishes The Imperfectionist, an email on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.