The Perils of Perfectionism and the Promise of Self-Compassion

Many legal professionals embrace perfectionism as a virtue, and our employers and clients often reward and reinforce behaviors that are equated with perfectionism.  In the wake of criticism and unrelenting demands on our time and energy from clients, opposing counsel, and courts, often our harshest critic remains ourselves.  However, unchecked perfectionism may ultimately result in more harm than good—personally as well as professionally.  This self-criticism and perfectionism can erode our physical and mental health and impact our professional conduct.

The first half of this session will generate a discussion of perfectionism’s impact on lawyer well-being and ultimately on professional conduct.  Participants will learn to recognize the difference between perfectionism and healthy striving and how to embrace an “optimalist” approach as a road to success and satisfaction.

The second half of the session will examine the question, “What if we could turn our self-criticism into self-compassion?”.  Studies show that people who…