Rewriting the Contract: A New Relationship With Your Inner Perfectionist

Perfectionism doesn’t only demand excellence—it often demands safety.
And safety rules are stubborn.

That’s why “just relax” rarely works. If your Perfectionist formed as protection, it won’t respond to shame or force. It responds to new terms—ones your nervous system can believe.

In Episode 2 of the Parts Project series, we call this:
Rewriting the contract.

What is the “contract”?

Most of us carry an invisible agreement that sounds like:

• If I do it perfectly, I won’t be criticized.

• If I stay ahead, I won’t get hurt.

• If I do enough, I’ll be safe/approved/valuable.

• If I don’t risk failure, I won’t feel shame.

The problem is: that contract is exhausting.
It drains baseline capacity and turns life into constant monitoring.

Week 2 focus: Healing

This week is about:

• discerning the voice (mine vs. someone else’s expectations vs. old survival)

• softening the push (compassion + grounding)

• choosing new terms that protect your baseline

Not “lower your standards because you don’t care,” but:
create standards that allow you to be human.

A simple rewrite practice (starter version)

Try this in 3 minutes:

Old term: “I have to get it right or I’ll be judged.”
New term: “I can be seen and still be safe enough.”

Then pair it with an experiment:
This week I will practice good-enough by ____.

Examples:

• send the email without rereading it five times

• stop at “done” for one task

• share the work before it feels perfect

• ask for help before you’re at the edge

Why this matters for burnout

Burnout isn’t only about workload. It’s also about internal load—the pressure, vigilance, and self-correction happening inside you all day long.

Rewriting the contract reduces that internal load. It makes room for:

• steadier energy

• less urgency

• more follow-through

• more creativity

• more kindness toward yourself

Listen to the episode

🎧 Episode 2: Rewriting the Contract
Listen here: https://podcasts.helloaudio.fm/player?episodeId=63084d06-e676-40fe-ac8b-6825de6650b4&code=36zsrHPNWP&centered=true

Try the Week 2 practice

Week 2 Micro-Journey (Healing) gives you the actual scaffold: discern the voice, soften the push, and choose new terms. Perfectionist Micro-Journey #2 (Healing)

Get the 3-week Micro-Journey Series: The Perfectionist – Parts Project (January 2026)

Go deeper with the full workbook

👉 https://renaemdupuis.com/product/the-21-day-perfectionist-journey-companion-workbook/