Issue #58: The Dangerous Obsession with Perfectionism
Good morning. It’s Thursday, November 3rd. On this day 6 years ago, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Guardians (née Indians) in an epic Game 7 to win their first World Series in 108 years. Those same Guardians now have the MLB's longest championship drought at 74 years.
“Humans would not know how to fill their days if they had only four hours of work out of the twenty-four. In so far as this is true in the modern world, it is a condemnation of our civilization.”
From the Lab: Life Should Be Fun, Not Perfect
Take Action: Find Your Interests/Hobbies/Passions
Speed Read: Take a Happiness Break
Thursday Night In: The Buddha Bowl
Moment of Fun: Jim Carrey
The percentage of "leisure time" we spend in front of a screen. That's 3 hours and 31 min per day or 53 days per year. Imagine what you can can do with all that time? Even taking away just the extra 31 min gives you 188 hours per year for something awesome.
From the Lab
When I think of fun - I think of vacations.
It's true - vacations are important. They give us something to look forward to, they take us out of our usual routine, and we can be (hopefully) unlocked from our daily tasks - whether that’s from work or at home.
Consider what makes a vacation fun for you:
Activities - what are you doing?
People - who are you with?
Settings - where are you?
Personally - I want to be surfing with friends (no wetsuit required) followed by some fish tacos on the beach laughing about our rides (or lack thereof).
But, it’s just as important to have some fun every day - "fun microdosing" (no, we’re not talking about psychedelics - at least not today). Even a couple minutes of fun can change our mood, boost our energy and make us feel good.
Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone with new interests or hobbies to find our fun.
As we get older we don’t put ourselves out there to do these things. Most of us chalk it up to limited time (maybe reduce that screen time), but here are two bigger reasons:
It might be a waste of time if we don’t like it
We don’t want to look dumb and feel like we suck at something
In terms of #1 - even if you completely froze during an improv class*, it’s still a better story than just sitting on the couch watching another game or episode of White Lotus.
As for #2 - this is very real. Perfectionism is on the rise in the U.S., which isn’t good. Perfectionism is associated with higher blood pressure and susceptibility to mental health issues.
There’s no easy way to overcome this fear or emotion - but it's 100% worth the try so here are a few tips:
Start Small - just learn a few chords on that guitar
Give Yourself Rewards - we all love rewards (it’s why apps are all games) - maybe a little new pair of running shorts when you get to 50 miles?
Don’t Give a F*&% What You or Others Think - not being a beginner at something means we’ve stopped learning. “Amateur” comes from the Latin root “Love." Don’t try to make yourself or life perfect - make it fun!
*Studies show that improvisation (jazz musicians, comics, rappers) changes our brain chemistry and actually turns off our inner critic.
Take Action
Try to do this quickly - what are the first things that pop into your head. Then keep the list and add to it as you think of new ideas over time.
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Seed Health supports our gut health, and our heart and skin health.
We have 39 trillion bacteria in our body - mostly in our gut. And where we live affects the microbes that surround us.
Their DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic includes 24 scientifically validated probiotic strains with a patented, non-fermenting prebiotic.
Go to Seed Health and check out their DS-01™ for adults and PDS-08™ Pediatric Daily Synbiotic for kids ages 3-17. ALL Thrive25 readers get 20% off their first month of DS-01™ Daily Synbiotic. Just use code THR25 at checkout!
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
And Now…Investing in TMRW Sports: The sports technology startup brought to you by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy announced the first round of investors and it’s a who’s who in sports and entertainment. Serena, Justin Timberlake, Shohei Ohtani, Diana Taurasi, Tony Romo, Lewis Hamilton, that Holey Moley Guy, and Ninja to name a few! Check out their first, of supposedly many, product: a virtual golf league - TGL. (Golf.com)
“Song of the Cell”: The latest book from Siddhartha Mukherjee explores the body’s smallest structure, the cell. Everything in this world that hurts us and every therapy that helps us comes down to the cell. Mukherjee won a Pulitzer for his first book, “The Emperor of All Maladies” so this should be an awesome read. (NYTimes Review)
Take a Happiness Break: Instead of another speed read, consider taking 6 min to connect with your body in the morning, right after lunch, or at night as part of your sleep routine. (Greater Good Magazine)
Thursday Night In
The Buddha Bowl - vegetarian, well-balanced meal (origin story?). This one includes the DNA powerhouse turmeric, sweet potatoes, an array of veggies, and pickled onions (or jalapeno if you like spicy) for your gut!
Moment of Fun
Inspired by my cousin's 2-yr old son's Halloween costume...
Love him, respect him or neither - Jim Carrey says his acting is meant to give all of us the space to be ourselves and quiet our own inner critic.
Thanks for joining us today!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback? Tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com
Want this direct to your inbox? Sign up here
Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
Sign up for free:
The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.