>>> HAVE YOU EVER CALLED YOURSELF A PERFECTIONIST?

IT MIGHT SOUND LIKE A SPECIFIC THING.

IT CAN PERFORM MORE LIKE PROCRASTINATION.

IN THE AUTHOR OF THIS ONCE PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT SECTION, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE CREDIT THAT WE RESERVE.

IN HER BOOK, "STOP WAITING FOR PERFECT," THIS AUTHOR SAYS IT IS A QUEST FOR PERFECTION.

IT IS KEEPING YOU FROM ACHIEVING YOUR POTENTIAL.

TIME TO GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME THING.

DON'T LET PERFECTION BE JUST AS GOOD.

>> THIS IS SOMETHING I HAD TO LEARN, EVEN WRITING THIS BOOK.

IT WAS A MASTER CLASS.

>> THE BOOK ITSELF WAS A LESSON.

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE PERFECTIONISM WAS CREATING A PROBLEM FOR YOURSELF?

>> TWO YEARS AGO.

I LOST MY PALATINE STREET.

I FORGOT TO LOG IN AND DO A WORKOUT.

IT JUST ALL CAME CRASHING DOWN.

WHO AM I WITHOUT THIS STREAK?

SOME THERAPY HELP ME REALIZE THAT YOU ARE STILL WORTHY.

YOU ARE STILL DESERVING OF LOVE, RESPECT, AND ALL OF THESE GOOD THINGS.

IT IS ALL ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY.

IT IS ABOUT THESE GOALS THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD.

>> YOU ARE ADAMANT ABOUT REACHING BLACK WOMEN WITH HIS BOOK.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF SELF-HELP BOOKS WRITTEN BY BLACK WOMAN OUT THERE, FOR US.

>> THERE IS A TONI MORRISON QUOTE.

IF THERE IS A BOOK YOU HAVE TO READ, YOU HAVE TO WRITE IT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF BOOKS OUT THERE, IS WHAT I SAW FROM A YOUNG, BLACK WOMAN, AND HER PERSPECTIVE.

I WANTED TO WRITE THE BOOK I NEEDED, AS SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLED WITH PERFECT SYNDROME.

THEY WERE POSSESSING THEMSELVES.

ALBERT HAS TO WORK TWICE AS GOOD TO GET HALF AS MUCH.

WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN OUR ENTIRE LIFE.

WHAT CAN I OFFER UP AS A LOVE LETTER OR VIRTUAL HUG?

HOW DO I HELP NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES?

HOW DOES THAT WORD MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU?

>> AFTER WRITING THE BOOK, YOU HAD YOUR FIRST CHILD.

HOW DID BEING A PARENT INFLUENCE YOUR WORDS?

>> I LEARNED THAT PERFECTIONISM AND PARENTING DON'T GO TOGETHER.

THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T BELONG.

IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO LET GO OF THE PLANS.

EVEN BEING ON TIME.

SOMETIMES, TRYING TO GET IT DOWN, AND GET A TODDLER OUT OF THE DOORS, YOU HAVE TO CALM DOWN AND SIT DOWN.

READ THROUGH THIS.

IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY.

IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.

THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO MODEL FOR HER.

I THINK GENERATIONALLY, WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT.

THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO BE TWICE AS GOOD.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD, AND BE THIS CAREFREE BLACK GIRL.

I WANT TO SHOW HER HOW TO BE KIND FOR HERSELF.

WE WANT TO SHOW THEM SOME COMPASSION.

I NEED TO MODEL THAT AS WELL.

>> ONE OF THE TECHNIQUES REQUIRES YOU TO QUIET THOSE THOUGHTS.

THINK ABOUT THOSE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, AND THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD VERSION OF YOURSELF.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

DID THEY BECOME A PLANNER AND A SCHEDULE?

>> I WAS A LOT MORE FREE.

I WAS VERY IN MY HEAD.

I WAS VERY CREATIVE.

I USED TO WRITE THE STORIES IN MY NOTEBOOK.

I WOULD TALK ABOUT MY FIRST BOOK.

DINOSAURS AND OTHER SPACE ARE RIGHT HERE WHEN I WAS SIX.

IT IS ABOUT THESE WILD FANTASIES.

THEY WERE ALWAYS READING.

THEY WERE TRYING TO GO THROUGH WITH THOSE WORLDS.

WHEN I TOOK A PICTURE OF MYSELF WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I WOULD NEVER SAY THOSE MEAN THINGS THAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU.

ME, ADULT VERSION?

I WOULD NOT SAY IT TO MY YOUNGER VERSION.

WHY WOULD I SAY IT TO MY YOUNGER SELF?

WHAT ABOUT MY YOUNGER FRIENDS OR MY SISTER?

WE ARE VERY HARSH ON OURSELVES.

THIS BOOK IS REALLY GOING TO HELP PEOPLE LET GO OF IT.

IT WAS SOME NEGATIVE SELF TALK.

WE WERE FINDING A WAY OF EXISTING IN THE WORLD.

>> YOU ARE FEELING THE JEALOUSY OF THE OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS.

IT IS OKAY TO FEEL THOSE FEELINGS.

>> IT HAS BEEN VERY TABOO.

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING BY IGNORING THOSE FEELINGS.

IT ROBS US OF OUR HUMANITY.

WE HAVE A FULL HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

JEALOUSY IS PART OF THAT.

I THINK IT HONESTLY CAN BE USED TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

IT CAN POINT YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS YOU ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.

MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT IT LIKE OH MY GOSH, I'M THIS BAD PERSON FOR BEING JEALOUS, WE RECOGNIZE THE FILLING.

HELLO, HOW ARE YOU?

WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

HOW DO I MOVE ON FROM THERE?

HOW IS THIS DONE INSTEAD OF GETTING THE BEST OF THE DEAL?

>> HOW DO YOU AFFIRM THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY GOOD AT THIS THING?

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO WITHOUT HAVING THAT EXTERNAL VALIDATION?

>> THAT IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

I DO THINK THAT.

>> IT IS ABOUT HAVING PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO ARE HONEST.

THEY CARE ABOUT YOU.

THEY WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED.

THEY ARE BOUNCING IDEAS OFF OF THEM.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU CAN WORK ON OR IMPROVE?

I WAS FEELING THAT WAY VERY RECENTLY.

THIS WAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

LOOKING AT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING.

I WENT BACK TO MY FEEL-GOOD SOLDIER.

I HAD NO DATA COLLECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

TALK ABOUT WHAT IT HAS MEANT FOR THEM.

THAT HELPS TO REDIRECT ME.

WHAT I'M DOING IS IMPORTANT.

IT MATTERS.

IT MAY NOT FIT ALL OF THE AWARDS AND ACCOLADES, BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

THE POINT IS TO HELP PEOPLE.

>> TELL ME ABOUT THIS.

>> I LITERALLY HAVE IT IN MY EMAIL.

WE ARE TRYING TO RESPOND FOR MY NEW LETTER.

WE HAVE MESSAGES COMING IN ABOUT THE BOOK.

THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS.

YOU WERE PERFECT TIMING IN INSPIRING ME.

>> THAT IS THE LEGACY THAT I WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND.

>> WE HAVE BLACK WOMAN THAT ARE TRYING TO HAVE THAT FEAR AND THAT SELF TALK TO GO ON.

THEY CAN DO INCREDIBLE THINGS.

THIS IS WHAT I TELL TO MYSELF.

IT IS ABOUT THOSE DAYS.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS DOING THE BEST JOB OF REMINDING ME WHY I DO WHAT I DO.

GOOD OLD SOCIAL MEDIA.

>> IT HAS GOT TO BE PERFECT.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU JUST FINISHED A BOOK.

>> FULL-TIME FREELANCE WRITING.

I'M RECENTLY GOING BACK IN THAT REALM.

MORE WRITING, MORE BOOKS, HOPEFULLY.

HOPEFULLY THEY CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

THEY ARE SPREADING THE WORD.

>> WHAT ELSE CAN YOU GET INTO?

WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT.

THANK