PLAYING-IT-SAFE
Get unstuck from ineffective playing-it-safe actions and start living!
Podcaster
Episoden
02.07.2025
14 Minuten
In this episode, Dr. Z. dives deep into the world of
procrastination, debunking common myths, exploring the different
types of procrastinators, and unpacking the psychological
processes that fuel our tendency to delay.
Debunking the Myths of Procrastination
Many of us have internalized misconceptions about
procrastination. Dr. Z. tackles these head-on, revealing that
procrastination is rarely about laziness or poor time management.
Instead, it often stems from deeper psychological factors. For
example, the myth that people “work better under pressure” is
just that—a myth. Research shows that last-minute work rarely
leads to better results and often increases stress. Similarly,
blaming procrastination on a lack of willpower oversimplifies the
issue; it’s more about understanding and addressing the
underlying factors that drive problematic procrastination.
Six Reflective Questions to Break the Cycle
Dr. Z. shares six reflective questions to unpack the
psychological roots of procrastinating behaviors.
(*) Show notes and resources of this episode
(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and
actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe
(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes
and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in
your head
(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr.
Z. ACT courses
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mehr
10.09.2024
24 Minuten
Today, I’m sharing with you a conversation with Dr. Mitchell
Greene, Ph.D. In our chat, we dive deep into the psychology of
goal-setting, attachment to goals, over-identification with one
area of our life, peak performance, and mental resilience.
When you’re taking a big exam, dealing with a work project,
or participating in an important match, how do you manage your
worries about your performance and your desire to perform to the
best of your abilities?
Are you supportive of yourself without adding pressure into
your plate?
How do you think of yourself without all the stuff you do in
your day-to-day life?
While having goals is essential for your performance and
motivation, they are just one piece of the puzzle. You also need
to manage your mental chatter to perform at your best when it
matters to you!
You will hear Mitchell and I sharing our take on Roger Federer,
Rick Barry, Kobe Bryant, Andre Agassi, and other professional
athletes’ approach to their performance, expectations, and
goal-setting.
Whether you’re dealing with high-stakes sports scenarios or
everyday life challenges, the principles to set your goals, how
you relate to them, and how you approach your mental chatter
remain the same.
You can find meaning and joy by making small tweaks and savoring
the good along the way!
Hope you enjoy this episode!
Key Takeaways
Understanding fear-based reactions
Setting goals for improved performance
Managing mind chatter in sports
The role of mental skills in athletic success
Balancing life and sport: Lessons from Roger Federer and
Andre Agassi
The importance of parental support in youth sports
Show notes
01:01 The Importance of Goal Setting
01:08 The Problem with Tunnel Vision
01:44 Importance of Outcome Goals
02:45 The Role of Action Goals
03:43 Goal setting and mental chatter
04:34 Managing Chatter for Success
05:30 Developing a New Relationship with Your Mind
06:01 Lessons from Roger Federer
06:43 Advice for Struggling Athletes
07:22 Mental Game of Professional Athletes
08:58 Perfectionism in Sports
11:42 Small Increments of Improvement
13:15 Leadership Challenges in Sports
13:55 Balancing Life and Sport
16:10 The Impact of Injuries on a Person’s Mindset
16:52 Parental Influence on Young Athletes
18:02 Coaching the Coaches
(*) Show notes and resources of this episode
(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and
actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe
(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes
and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in
your head
(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr.
Z. ACT courses
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mehr
13.08.2024
31 Minuten
In part 1 of my conversation with Monica Basco, Ph.D., Exploring
the intersection of perfectionism, procrastination, and
performance, we discussed the following topics:
Perfectionism and high-achieving behaviors
Understanding the impact of high goals
The role of confidence in goal setting
The intersection of perfectionism and procrastination
In this second part of our conversation, Monica kindly shared her
transition from academia to the White House as an introduction to
the focus of this episode: the intersection of
perfectionism and imposter phenomenon.
Perfectionists set exceptionally high standards for themselves,
displaying a relentless drive to achieve what they perceive as
flawless outcomes. However, when these standards are not met, it
can lead to feelings of failure and inadequacy. Even when they
succeed, perfectionists may fear that others will see through
their façade, further perpetuating the imposter phenomenon.
A highlight of our conversation is the importance of
discerning when perfectionistic actions are an asset and when
they become a liability.
Key Takeaways
Perfectionism and imposter phenomenon
Exploring imposter phenomenon
Perfectionism and self-expectations
Overcoming imposter syndrome
The transition from academia to government
Perfectionism in different contexts
Balancing perfectionism and fear of failure
Distinguishing when to turn on and off perfectionistic
actions
Show notes with time-stamps
00:00 The Intersection of Perfectionism and Imposter Phenomenon
05:03 Personal Story: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
10:10 Transition from Academia to the White House
16:12 The Role of Perfectionism in Government and Science
18:23 Fear of Failure and Perfectionism
22:52 How Different Fears Influence Behavior
(*) Show notes and resources of this episode
(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and
actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe
(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes
and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in
your head
(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr.
Z. ACT courses
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mehr
06.03.2024
33 Minuten
Drop your standards! Let go of your perfectionistic tendencies!
If I were paid a dollar every time I heard this message, I would
have a large bank account by now.
When you’re pursuing a top performance – from athletic to
intellectual to artistic ones – it’s fundamental that you
distinguish those common principles that improve your performance
and your well-being altogether.
In this episode, Brad Stulberg and I discussed research-based
skills to deal with high-achieving and striving behaviors in a
skillful manner and without losing yourself.
Key Takeaways
How to distinguish when perfectionistic actions are working
for you or against you
The difference between values-based goals and ego-driven
goals
How to avoid burnout in the information era
How to manage your proneness to perfectionistic actions
Day-to-day experiences of experiential avoidance
Tips to handle the fear of failure
How to figure out what is on the other side of your fears
How to practice self-compassion when handling our fears
Show notes with time stamps
00:31 Understanding Fear-Based Reactions
01:02 Overcoming Perfectionism
01:36 Interview with Brad Stulberg: High Achieving and Striving
Behaviors
02:19 Reflecting on Your Life and Overcoming Overthinking
03:28 Living According to Your Values
04:10 Using a Values-Based Review to Live the Life You Want
04:46 Conversation with Brad Stulberg: Balancing Productivity and
Wellbeing
05:43 Understanding the Double-Edged Sword of Optimization
08:44 Dealing with Fear of Failure and Regret
17:48 Navigating Ego-Driven Goals and Values-Based Goals
24:09 Overcoming Experiential Avoidance
(*) Show notes and resources of this episode
(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and
actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe
(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes
and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in
your head
(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr.
Z. ACT courses
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mehr
17.01.2024
32 Minuten
Perfectionism isn’t a personality quirk. It’s a pattern of
reinforced behaviors that can seep into every aspect of your
life.
You may set certain standards for yourself, certain rules about
how things are supposed to be or how you are supposed to behave;
while you may meet those standards for a while, they eventually -
and inevitably - fall short. Then, you feel crushed. Then, you
criticize yourself. And then, to drown out the negativity, you
set new goals, standards, and expectations for yourself. The
cycle of ineffective perfectionistic actions repeats and
maintains itself.
There is nothing wrong with striving to do things right and
perfectly - that’s natural when you deeply care about things and
what matters to you. And, as you have heard me say before, it’s
extremely important that you learn to harness the power of
perfectionistic actions without losing yourself.
In this podcast episode, I chat with Monica Basco, Ph.D. We
discuss specific topics related to perfectionism in detail:
(a) A large part of the conversation clarifies how having high
standards and being perfectionistic can be both, beneficial and
detrimental, and finding the balance between the two is crucial.
(b) We also discussed the interplay between perfectionistic
behaviors and procrastination as two sides of the same coin.
(c) Monica and I highlighted the fact that setting high-goals is
productive when one can tolerate failure. However, learning to
pursue what matters and learning to let things go - as the right
thing to do - is also important.
(d) Finally, we discuss ideas for you to conduct a functional
analysis, or in other words, we discuss key questions for you to
understand your drive to engage in perfectionistic actions (e.g.,
what is my mind trying to protect me from right now?)
Key Takeaways
Discussing perfectionism and high-achieving behaviors
Understanding the impact of high goals
The role of confidence in goal setting
The intersection of perfectionism and procrastination
Show notes with time-stamps
01:00 Understanding Fear and Perfectionism
01:31 Dealing with Perfectionism and High-Achieving Behaviors
02:35 Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Perfectionism
04:14 Setting Goals and Dealing with Failure
05:12 Understanding Overachievement and Expectations
08:37 Dealing with Rejection and Pursuing Goals
20:43 Understanding the Intersection of Perfectionism and
Procrastination
(*) Show notes and resources of this episode
(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and
actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe
(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes
and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in
your head
(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr.
Z. ACT courses
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mehr
Über diesen Podcast
I'm Dr. Z., a clinical psychologist and an author. In
PLAYING-IT-SAFE I will share with you research based-skills,
interviews, readings, insights, tips, and all types of curated info
to get unstuck from worries, anxieties, fears, obsessions, and
ineffective playing-it-safe actions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kommentare (0)