Identity-Level Recalibration

#36 Breaking Free from Perfectionism — One Aligned Step at a Time


Listen Later

High-capacity humans often confuse preparation with perfection. This episode shows how to break the loop, move with presence, and lead from alignment — even when it feels awkward or incomplete.

Perfectionism doesn’t protect your credibility — it prevents your momentum. In this episode of Identity-Level Recalibration, Julie Holly shares how perfectionism becomes a form of emotional self-protection and how you can gently recalibrate through presence, not pressure. You’ll learn how your nervous system, self-talk, and brain wiring all contribute to the loop — and how to shift with identity-aligned movement.

In this episode, we cover:

  • Why perfectionism feels protective — but keeps you stuck


  • How to move forward without “feeling ready”
  • The science of neural efficiency and how habits are formed
  • The connection between your nervous system and the fear of exposure
  • How perfectionism masks procrastination
  • What self-leadership actually looks like
  • A powerful story of Brené Brown’s recalibration
  • A Micro-Recalibration for progress over polish — including a tip for leaders

Today’s Micro-Recalibration:
Ask yourself:

  • What have I been perfecting instead of releasing?
  • Where have I confused excellence with safety?
  • What would a 70% version of this look like today — and would that be enough?

Then take the step — publish the post, make the offer, show up raw.

If you lead others:
Where might your pursuit of perfection be creating pressure instead of permission?

Give your team the gift of your humanity. Let them see progress — not just polish.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Episode 31: The Power of Pattern Interrupts
  • Episode 35: How Your Self-Talk Shapes Who You’re Becoming

If this episode gave you language you’ve been missing, please rate and review the show so more high-capacity humans can find it.

Explore Identity-Level Recalibration
Follow Julie Holly on LinkedIn for more recalibration insights

Schedule a conversation with Julie to see if ILR is a fit for you

Download the Misalignment Audit

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter

Join the waitlist for the next ILR cohort

This isn’t therapy. This isn’t coaching. This is identity recalibration — and it changes everything.



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Identity-Level RecalibrationBy Julie Holly