About Our Guest
Sarah Straton is an Olympic beach volleyball player who struggled with perfectionism and tying her self-worth to her achievements. After retiring from professional sport, she found purpose in helping others navigate similar challenges. Sarah works with families, sporting organisations, and corporations to facilitate wellbeing and performance.
The Burden of Perfectionism | Fear, Failure & Self Acceptance
Breaking Free: When Perfect Becomes the Enemy of Enough
In this conversation, Olympic athlete Sarah Straton shares her lifelong struggle with perfectionism and the relentless pursuit of feeling "enough." She reflects on believing that making the Olympic team would finally validate her worth, only to find herself caught in an even tighter grip of perfectionism when that feeling never came. Through vulnerability and self-awareness, Sarah shares her transformational journey from needing to be perfect to embracing "good enough." She explores how she learned to treat herself with compassion, reframe fear as excitement, and trust her own voice. Sarah's story reveals the exhausting cycle of perfectionism and offers a roadmap for shifting from self-criticism to self-acceptance, reminding us that our worth isn't dependent on achievements and giving permission to be human, imperfect, and enough exactly as we are.
Sarah’s Tips
Take the bird’s eye view – this thing that seems like such a big issue now is barely a blip in the big scheme of things
Have self-compassion- be mindful, remember that you’re not alone, and be kind to yourself
Get comfortable with discomfort- to build your capacity. You’ll be amazed looking back at how the things that were once so difficult have become easier.
Be curious- about where the fear is coming from so you can build self-awareness
Sarah’s Contact Details
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahstraton/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-straton/
Website: http://WeAreEvergrowing.com
Sarah’s Suggested Resources
The Perfection Trap, by Thomas Curran
No Bad Parts, by Richard C. Schwartz
Feel the Fear and do it Anyway, by Susan Jeffers
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Time Stamps
00:00 Sarah Straton Intro
00:30 The Burden of Perfectionism
02:37 Awareness and Acceptance
05:22 The Journey to Self-Discovery
07:34 Reflections on Olympic Experience
09:51 The Impact of Upbringing
12:32 Embracing Imperfection
14:51 The Role of Self-Compassion
17:07 Navigating Perfectionism Today
23:54 The Cost of Action vs. Inaction
26:06 Motivation Beyond Fear
28:10 Facing Fear and Expanding Comfort Zones
30:52 Reframing Fear as Excitement
34:00 From Avoidance to Embracing Opportunities
36:11 The Gift of Self-Awareness
41:08 Messages to Our Younger Selves
42:49 Top Tips for Self-Discovery and Growth
46:00 Its a wrap
If anything in this episode resonated with you and if you feel like you could use a little extra support, please consider reaching out to trusted local support services in your area. You don’t have to go through it alone.
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