This fear is very much rooted in perfectionism. A deep seeded desire to want to come across as someone who is informed, doesn’t make mistakes and is pretty much correct all of the time.
As we know, that’s not in any way possible. In fact this deep desire to want to be perfect in how you practice and show up for DEI work leads to toxicity. So you now have *toxic perfectionism* which is highly distractive to this work.
Here’s some of the ways toxic perfectionism gets in the way:
👉🏾 Believing you need to be perfect to be powerful. You do not need to be perfect to be a powerful ally and advocate. Allies and advocates of this work are lifelong learners.
👉🏾 Perfectionism is actually a characteristic of white supremacy culture, holding the belief that you need to be perfect in order to make an impact. It then becomes harmful to the process rather than helpful.
👉🏾 Silence becomes the default position because one is afraid of getting it wrong because they are not perfect. Silence is a tool that has been effective in keeping issues of race a no-go-zone. If you are not speaking up and having conversations, nothing changes, things remain the same.
Anytime you feel the need to be perfect, remember it is getting in the way of DEI work. Support yourself by staying informed so that when you need to show up and speak up, you can do so from a place of empowerment rather than fear of not being perfect.
Want to be empowered in your DEI journey?
Subscribe to my newsletter here where I share weekly tips and tools to help you become an inclusive online business owner.
With love,
Annie
