Perfectionism is not the same as high achievement. Perfectionism involves feeling badly about yourself when some aspects are lacking, assuming those aspect will thwart your goals, while high achievement involves going for greatness and feeling fulfilled by what you accomplish while learning from your mistakes, which will help you stay motivated and achieve more. If you get clear on how perfectionism harms you and your thought patterns with it, you’ll be motivated to address it.
When we have perfectionist tendencies, we’re in the habit of focusing on the negative. If we consciously focus on the positive more than the negative, we can slowly shift that habit. For every one negative aspect you find, find three aspects that are positive and be open to lessons learned, especially from constructive criticism. This tactic also goes for negative self-talk and not feeling good enough. Practice catching your negative self-talk over time and replace comments with positive affirmations.
Dampening perfectionism involves setting realistic, small goals as part of a larger goal, knowing you will make mistakes and learn. Reward yourself for achieving each small goal and add more goals as you go. The more you focus on the process rather than results, the more you can enjoy it.
Deb Falzoi
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