“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”― Salvador Dali
Perfectionism is bad because it never allows you to be good enough or lovable
enough.
This often shows up as you spend time obsessing over every single detail of every single project. and yet still, after completion, you aren’t able to celebrate your success because you still think “something more could have been done”.
Happiness is elusive for a perfectionist because there is always something more that can be done to make their work or life better.
The end result of perfectionism is thus not feeling more accomplished and lovable, but instead feeling more stressed out, perturbed and demotivated.
Here are 3 strategies to rein in perfectionism:
Let Go of Unrealistic Expectations
Holding on to the need to be perfect sets you up for failure. All it does is allow you to set unreachable standards in your mind and believe that you can only make them happen if someone lends you a hand.
See Mistakes as Part of the Normal Learning Process
Instead of viewing mistakes as a reflection of your self-worth, and immediately jumping to self-criticism, try reframing the internal conversation.
When you make a mistake, remind yourself that you are human and mistakes are a normal part of the learning and growing process.
Just Get Started
Procrastination is a sure sign that you’re stuck in a perfectionist mindset. We often wait for our time to be “perfect”. The truth is , that time never comes!
Just take the FIRST STEP towards action.
The next time you find yourself procrastinating or putting something off ask yourself, “Am I avoiding this because I expect it to be perfect?”
Hope this helps!
Founder of CoachAble, an Entrepreneur, Life Coach, Teacher, Philanthropist and an unshakable optimist, Nilanjan is dedicated to helping people who are at a crossroads in life to create long term sustainable change in their lives. Nilanjan through his life coaching helps you to re-design life so that you can live with a sense of fulfilment.