Perfection is a major obstacle to success. Perfectionism makes it hard for perfectionists to succeed.
Perfection kills creativity, vitality, and accidental discoveries! We grow by learning from our mistakes. "Perfection" will never guarantee success.
High-achievers are not perfectionists. Both groups want success. High achievers are driven to succeed, while perfectionists are paralysed by fear of failure.
First, some facts about perfectionism:
Perfectionism can cause stress, fear of judgement, and inadequacy, lowering self-esteem, zest for life, and peace.
Anxiety, OCD, and stress often accompany perfectionism.
Perfectionists set impossible goals. They criticise themselves and anything that doesn't meet their standards.
Perfectionists also worry that if they don't aim for perfection, they'll underperform and fail.
Perfectionists often procrastinate because they're afraid of failing.
Perfectionism harms others by setting unrealistic expectations.
Perfectionism takes practise to undo, just as it took years to 'hone' a skill. 5 ways to overcome perfectionism and succeed:
When we let ourselves fail, we realise it's not the end of the world. Mistakes teach and improve. Try a new hobby you won't be good at. Instead of trying to be "perfect," enjoy the activity and slowly improve. Mistakes may help you succeed.
Remember that you're the one pressuring yourself. Lower your expectations and practise self-acceptance. You're doing well if you stay motivated and work hard. Doing our best is enough.
Due to unattainable standards, perfectionists set unrealistic goals. Setting SMART and achievable goals can help eliminate perfectionism. Realistic and healthy goals reduce stress and boost confidence.
Perfectionists take criticism personally and have low self-esteem. However, constructive criticism is essential for growth. Recognise that healthy criticism can help us improve and is normal. Mistakes happen.
If they can't do their job perfectly, perfectionists may procrastinate. Unnecessary and stressful. Start with a working draught.
Allow yourself to keep working on the project if your first draught isn't perfect.
We focus on our flaws because we want everything to be perfect. Knowing your perfectionism helps you overcome it.
Pause and observe your perfectionism thought patterns. We can change our discourse about perfectionism once we realise how it controls our lives.