144. How writing a book became the antidote to my perfectionism with Kim Payne

Today is the day.After 15 years of saying “someday,” my book Courageous Me officially went live on Amazon…and wow, what a mixed bag of emotions.In this deeply personal episode, recorded on the day my book was released into the world, I pull back the curtain on something I’ve wrestled with for most of my life: perfectionism.Not the cute, colour-coded, high-achieving version.The exhausting, identity-wrapping, action-blocking version.I read a powerful section from Part Four of the book, Your Permission Slip, where I unpack what it was like growing up believing I had to be perfect, how that belief shaped my decisions, and the surprising childhood nickname that cracked the illusion wide open.This is a story about masks, overachievement, control… and the moment I realised perfection wasn’t protecting me—it was quietly holding me back.It’s about what happens when you can’t edit anymore.When the stage isn’t scripted.When the armour has to come off.If you’ve ever waited for the perfect time, the perfect conditions, or the “perfect” version of you… this conversation might be the whispering you didn’t know you needed. Key takeaways:o   What if perfection isn’t your strength… and what it might be quietly costing you.o   How a childhood label can shape a lifetime, and not in a good way.o   Why perfection feels safe — until it becomes your biggest liability.o   What happens when you can’t revise, rehearse, or control the outcome.o   The hidden reason “someday” keeps getting postponed, and what it takes to turn it into today. COURAGEOUS ME – THE BOOK Grab your copy of Courageous Me – The courage to turn someday into today.  Where to find me: Website: Kim Payne   LinkedIn: Kim Payne Instagram: @iamkimpayne  Facebook: KimPayneBiz