Perfectionists tend to set extremely high standards for themselves. They’ll often spend days, weeks or even months on a project that other people would have been happy to produce after only an hour or two. In some ways, that’s an admirable quality. It shows that the perfectionist values their work and is willing to go the extra mile in order to ensure it meets a standard they are happy with. However, being a perfectionist can also be very destructive. Perfectionism is closely linked with procrastination, self-doubt and avoidance of tasks that may involve criticism from others. If you find that your perfectionist tendencies are holding you back from completing projects or undertaking new challenges, then these tips may help…
Set smaller goals
One of the reasons that perfectionists procrastinate is that they set extremely high standards for themselves and their work. They’ll often have such high expectations that they put a lot of pressure on themselves to perform perfectly. When you set unrealistic standards, you may be setting yourself up for failure. This is because everyone makes mistakes, everyone has off days and everyone occasionally performs below par. If you set the bar so high that you’re certain you’ll always meet that standard, you’ll never feel like you’ve met your own expectations. You’ll never feel like the work you’ve done is good enough.
Challenge the belief that everything has to be perfect
This ties in with the first tip. If you’re setting unrealistic expectations for yourself, you might need to challenge the belief that everything you do has to be perfect. People have a tendency to be their own harshest critics. When you expect everything you do to be flawless, you’re setting yourself up for failure. After all, it’s impossible to never make a mistake or never fail at something. If you want to stop procrastinating and start getting more things done, you need to learn to accept imperfection. No one is perfect, and no one ever will be. Even the most successful people in the world make mistakes. If you want to improve, you have to be willing to accept that you’re going to make mistakes. There’s no such thing as making no mistakes; the only thing you can do is attempt to minimise them.
Don’t let your standards be the only factor in determining when something is finished
This ties in with the first two points. If you’re holding yourself to extremely high standards and letting those be the only factor in determining when something is finished, then you’re almost certainly going to procrastinate. You’re going to be so concerned with making sure everything is absolutely perfect that you’ll never actually get anything done. To get around this, you need to force yourself to set a time limit on projects. Once you hit that deadline, regardless of whether the work you’ve done is perfect or not, you have to move on to something else.
Celebrate small wins
If you’re struggling with perfectionism, you may feel like you’re constantly failing. After all, how can you celebrate anything when you’ve set the bar so high and constantly fail to meet that standard? One thing that perfectionists often forget to do is celebrate their small wins. If you fail to celebrate your successes because you’re so focused on your failures, you’ll quickly become demotivated. It’s important to recognise when you’ve done well and to celebrate those moments. If you can reframe those small wins, even if they involve only a small amount of progress towards your goals, then you can begin to build a positive mindset.
Conclusion
Perfectionists have a tendency to be very hard on themselves. They tend to be critical of their own work and are often overly self-critical. This can be destructive, especially if you’re trying to complete a project or take on a new challenge, as it can put you off even attempting the task. To combat the negative effects of perfectionism, it’s important to set smaller goals, challenge the belief that everything has to be perfect, and not let your standards be the only factor in determining when something is finished. You also need to celebrate small wins and learn to reframe your thoughts.