Learning how to overcome perfectionism is a real problem for many. Here are four strategies for you to implement today that will help you overcome perfectionism.
Perfectionists seem to have an insatiable thirst for being the best at anything and everything they do, and actually, this is not a bad thing.
Many excel in their chosen fields, but that doesn’t mean that this personality trait does not have its downsides. When a small setback or failure feels like a major failure and cause of personal distress, that’s when perfectionism becomes a burden.
Perfectionists often hold themselves as well as other people to standards that they know are very unrealistic. Therefore, if your perfectionism hinders you from forming or maintaining relationships, then here are four simple steps you can do to get away from it.
Do you want to overcome perfectionism? Understand the difference: Aspiring for Greatness vs. Perfectionism
No work of art in any museum in the world is perfect. Each and every painting has lots of blemishes that only a trained eye can point.
Da Vinci’s “The Mona Lisa” is without a doubt, a great work of art, but when looking at it with the use of X-ray fluorescence reveals that the painting itself is made up of up to 40 layers of paint. Had he gone much further than the 40th coat, he could have lost the subtlety of human expressions that his paintings are very well known for. I think this is greatness in the form of art.
Perfectionists have this tendency to hyper focus on the most minuscule of flaws. Focus on the things that you cannot do perfectly, and you may end up doing nothing at all. You will just end up delaying the work such that the outcome would be sub-par.
I have personally dealt with this sort of immobilization. I have felt paralyzed at times so I have a personal experience with overcome perfectionism.
Do you now see how perfectionism can become a self-fulfilling prophecy? This is a difficult character trait to deal with.
Here’s a fact: Perfection is unattainable. But aspiring to greatness is.
Implementing these four strategies will help you overcome perfectionism with being perfect:
- Gradient Thinking. This is one very powerful technique to claim the life you deserve. The challenge is changing your thought-patterns.
- Remember that grey is not black and a single point below 100% is not and will never be zero. Remember that at the end of the day only you can tell how much work you have put into a project. So be your own authority and congratulate yourself on your effort.
- The result of your missteps is growth and learning. It will help you become a better person. It is difficult to realize this at all when all you want to is to make your work perfect. Remember you can still work towards accomplishing greatness without fretting over every detail.
- Give others a break. Are you finding yourself imposing your perfectionism on other people? If yes, then stop. It is very helpful to remind yourself that other people are not required to live by your own personal standards. Having high standards is not the problem, it’s having TOO high standards that is the problem.
- Remember that you can only be easier on yourself if you cut other people slack. Every single one of us has our own unique set of skills and talents. In fact, your loved ones, friends and family can do many things better than you do. However, it is possible that you also excel in some areas that your peers may be struggling with. It’s really a blessing how we balance each other out.
- Asking your friends to perform at your level in a skill where they lack confidence results to feelings of being controlled. It only makes you look hard and inflexible. This isn’t a kind, loving or dare I say sexy place. Your significant other probably will feel hurt and you won’t have a relationship that grows in the intimacy department.
- Keep in mind then that our imperfections make us human.
- Cut it up. Do not fall into the trap of envisioning your project as a whole. Instead, look at it like they’re a series of meticulously designed, interlocking blocks.
- The entire process will actually seem smoother if you just put your focus into completing one task after another. Stop worrying about the outcome.
- Remember that you are only able to climb a set of stairs by putting one foot in front of the other. Sure, it is smart to look at the end in mind, that being the top of the stairs as a way of knowing how to proceed it’s important to realize that you can’t magically get to the top without the steps.
- It is always best not to expect an immediate victory. This way, you’ll end up having less time to scrutinize the overall project because you will be immersed in the present task.
- Love your humor. Perhaps, it can be said that a healthy sense of humor is the best way to diffuse perfectionism.
- Finding the humor in your own mistake will help you analyze it objectively and learn from it more. This tip is my favorite. I have grown to laugh at myself much more than when I was younger, and harder on myself. Reaching for perfectionism seemed to quite literally take my personality away. I looked at everything as if it was right or wrong.
To overcome perfectionism it is important to remember that life will never be perfect, and that includes you. Give yourself the liberty of letting go of your perfectionist ways. Create measurable changes in your life by using these tips. Trust me, you will be happy you did. Let’s continue the conversation. Have you dealt with overcoming perfectionism? Leave your comment below, and remember to swing by my Facebook page and become a fan!