Perfectionism is a problem that affects many people. It’s also one of the most difficult things to recognize, let alone overcome. In this article, I want to introduce; how do you let go of the spirit of perfectionism and how it can be overcome if you want to improve your life and experience more joy in your everyday activities.
What is the spirit of perfectionism?
The spirit of perfectionism is something that can be hard to shake. You’ve probably heard the saying “perfection is the enemy” or “the devil wears Prada,” and they’re both true. But in this article, I want to talk about how you can stop letting perfectionism control your life and start embracing uncertainty instead.
“Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”
Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
You may be a perfectionist because of the way you were raised, the expectations of your family and friends, or even the pressure from society. But what does it mean to be a perfectionist?
Perfectionism is defined as “the persistent pursuit of high standards and goals with worry about making mistakes.” It’s also known as “an attitude toward life that emphasizes excellence,” “a belief in one’s super” or “a drive for excellence.“
The problem with being a perfectionist is that you’re constantly looking over your shoulder at every mistake, so you can immediately correct it. This leads to anxiety because there are always more things that could go wrong. So if something goes wrong now, how many more times will it happen before I get it right?
How do you let go of the spirit of perfectionism
There are many different types of perfectionism: perfectionism in the workplace, perfectionism with your family and friends, or even just being too hard on yourself when you try something new.
The good news is that nearly everyone has some sort of problem with it at some point in their lives, and most people don’t realize they need help until they hit rock bottom or until they start struggling with their relationships or career goals.
The first step is recognizing that there’s something wrong with how much pressure you put on yourself:
“I should be able to do this perfectly!”
“My work isn’t good enough.”
These statements can feel true for many people who struggle with self-criticism (or any other kind of negativity), but they aren’t accurate reflections of reality. So, let’s take a look at what happens under our skin when we tell ourselves these things:
1. Start with your mind
You can start to let go of perfectionism by being aware of your thoughts and feelings.
Your thoughts and feelings are two very different things, but they often go hand in hand. Your thoughts are just that: something you think about or imagine, such as how much work the project is going to take or how hard it was for you when someone rejected your idea at work.
Your feelings are what happens inside when you experience those thoughts, like nervousness or frustration at not achieving what seemed possible before starting this project. It’s important to know the difference between these two things because they can affect each other negatively if they aren’t separated properly.
If you’re a perfectionist, this can be difficult because your thoughts are so tightly controlled by fear (and shame). You may have even learned to ignore some of your feelings and emotions under this control. But when we try not to listen to our inner voices when they tell us something isn’t good enough, we end up failing at being able to do our best work or perform at peak levels in any situation.
So, identify the reason why you have this tendency in yourself; it might be because of your childhood experiences or because of some other factor that makes you think that everything needs to be done perfectly even if it causes problems later on. Once you’ve identified what’s causing your perfectionism problem then work on taking steps towards improving this aspect of yourself
It’s time for us (as humans) to be human again and start listening more. If something feels wrong about something, then maybe it’s wrong. Whatever. Your profession may be writing, coding, or whatever else… “If things are happening within yourself that feel uncomfortable or off-putting somehow, then perhaps those feelings need addressing before moving forward with anything else related to completing tasks successfully.”
2. Examine your motives
The second step to overcoming perfectionism is to examine your motives. What are you trying to achieve? Why do you want this? Is it because you think that if you achieve it, then life will be perfect, and everything will fall into place?
Or
Maybe the reason is that when people see someone who has achieved something great, they feel inspired by them and want their lives to be like that.
Examine your motives for being so hard on yourself when something goes wrong; are there any other factors involved here? For example, maybe someone else was responsible for something going wrong, but instead of acknowledging this fact fully, you instead blame yourself entirely (this often happens). It could also be due to a lack of self-confidence, which leads us to think we’re not good enough.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others.
This can make you feel bad about yourself, and it’s a waste of time. Focus on your journey, not worry about what other people are doing or how they feel about themselves. Focus on your strengths and weaknesses instead, because this is where the true growth happens.
Read More: 7 Reasons to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
4. Take a break from social media.
When you are on social media, you are constantly comparing yourself to others and feeling like your life isn’t as exciting as theirs. This can make you feel like there is something wrong with you because no one else has it figured out quite like you do.
So that when people start asking about how your day was or what happened at work today, all of these questions sound like criticism and judgment instead of genuine curiosity about how things are going in their lives too.
Take some time away from all those negative thoughts by scrolling through Instagram only once every few days or sharing something funny on Twitter once every few weeks (and not obsessing over what everyone else is doing).
Read More: Life without social media: 14 Incredible Advantages
5. Cut down on multitasking.
You have to learn how to focus on one thing at a time. It is very hard for us humans to do this, but it is necessary if you want to become more successful in any area of life. If you try too many things at once, then your attention will be divided and less effective than if you focused on just one thing at a time.
Don’t worry about what others are doing or what they are going through; rather, focus on yourself and the work that needs to be done right now. Remember that there is nothing wrong with being imperfect because sometimes being perfectionism can lead us into depression when we don’t achieve our goals as we feel like we have failed ourselves or others around us.
6. Focus on the journey, not the destination.
It is another way to let go of perfectionism you need to focus on the journey, not the destination. When we think about what other people are doing, we get caught up in their stories and stories that they’re making their own choices too. If you want to create something amazing and powerful in your life, then start by focusing on creating something amazing and powerful within yourself.
7. Get comfortable with uncertainty.
Uncertainty is normal. It’s okay to not know everything, and it’s okay to be wrong sometimes. You can make mistakes and get uncomfortable without feeling like you failed or that you are destined to fail. Trying new things is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself and your potential as a person. So don’t worry if this all seems confusing at first.
The key here is to remember that when we’re working towards something bigger than ourselves (like achieving something big), there will always be uncertainties around the edges: what if I fail? What if these people reject me? How will my family react?
8. Remember, no one is perfect.
Finally, remember no one is perfect. Perfectionism is a mindset that we can choose to adopt or reject. It isn’t bad; it’s just different from the way you think about yourself and others in your life.
Stop focusing on the flaws and start appreciating what you have instead of what you don’t have (and, if possible, work towards getting your desired outcome) because you are the person who is responsible for your life.
Conclusion
People who tend towards perfectionism need to realize that it’s not healthy and can make life difficult, if they want to do something about it, they have to first identify the problem and then take steps such as examining their motives, accepting they aren’t perfect, the only person they should be competing with is themselves.
We hope these tips have helped you realize that perfectionism is not the only option. preventing you from living a more fulfilling life. So, if you find yourself constantly thinking “I should…” or “I could…” instead of just doing what needs to get done, try some of these ideas out! They may take some time to implement, but we promise they’ll pay off eventually in terms of your happiness and success in life’s big moments.
References
- How to Manage Your Perfectionism by Rebecca Knight
- Stop being a perfectionist – YouTube Video
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