Is it really ok not to be perfect??
Do you have a very specific manner in which things should be done? Are you really hard on yourself when you make a mistake? Do you often pick out mistakes when those around you don’t notice them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might have perfectionistic tendencies. And ask yourself, how much is this getting in the way for you?
So….. What is perfectionism?
Perfectionism is a relentless drive to achieve extremely high standards. Perfectionism is not necessarily just about aspiring to be perfect. If you have perfectionistic tendencies, you may often experience negative consequences of placing such high demands on yourself, yet you continue to pursue regardless of the cost. People with perfectionistic tendencies tend to judge their self-worth largely on their ability to achieve their unrelenting standards.
“Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfection is not about healthy achievement and growth.” Brené Brown
Setting yourself goals and standards is very helpful, and it motivates us all to achieve. However, it can become unhelpful if it gets to a point where you’re regularly unable to perform a task unless you feel it’s done perfectly. Rather than focusing on the process of learning or simply aiming to complete a task to the best of their ability, people with perfectionism tend to view the end product as the most important part of any undertaking, and they cannot see the project or task as finished until the result is, according to their standards, perfect. In severe cases, people can have trouble beginning tasks because their standards are so high it paralyses them into inaction. Or perhaps they cannot hand in an assignment at school or university because they can’t let it go for fear it is not ‘perfect’ yet.
Does this resonate with you? Maybe you feel like your perfectionistic tendencies are getting in the way of doing other enjoyable things? Our Clinical Psychologists are highly trained, and we are here to help you overcome this problem for good. We can give you life changing strategies to help you achieve your goals more effectively and be free of perfectionism forever.