Stop Waiting for Perfect: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and into Your Power

Journalist and motivational speaker Payton, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, aims this title at the grown-up versions of the kids who strove for perfect attendance at school and now maintain streaks on wellness apps. Payton offers solid advice and a much-needed reality check for when perfectionism crumbles. The author is a creative who relates how she’s had to job-hop, encountering agony, stress, and imposter syndrome as she did so. She also shares how the pandemic affected her need for control in all facets of her life. The book is playful, conversational, and fun to read, with chapters that act as bite-sized pep talks that can be read and reread. Payton quotes many leaders in the business and the self-help fields, so readers will have a list of titles and authors to follow up with after finishing this book. While written primarily for a Black audience, it’s easy for anyone to gain insights and feel fulfilled reading this book.