How many of you can do an honest self-assessment of your anxiety and not find perfectionism rooted within your thoughts?
I’m sure that it’s not many, if anyone.
Perfectionism digs at your security and peace and there is no indication that it actually contributes to success! It leads to procrastination that is counter-productive.
What if you took the perspective of doing your best work and then releasing it to the world without over-critiquing or spending too much time doubting?
Productivity increases and self-satisfaction improves. Taking the time to be conscious about your perfectionistic tendencies and then purposefully trying to change your thoughts about the task that you are working on can be solidified over time with practice. Your thought patterns can be changed.
If each day your goal is to be the best that you can be and balance that with completing your tasks for the day, you will find greater satisfaction and achievement.
Perfectionism inserts itself into our view of self-worth and our relationships. It is not possible to live up to your own expectations of perfectionism and it is not possible for your loved ones to be perfect, either. Explore why those expectations for yourself and your loved ones are present.
Experiencing yourself and someone else at that most basic and natural level is much more fulfilling. Trust in yourself that those that you surround yourself with are positive and healthy for you and will strive for their own personal best. Most often, you will find that they are exactly who you knew that they were and their characteristics that you have thought positively of in the past are admirable ones.
Of course, you must listen to your instinct. If you find that these individuals are not positive or healthy, then further thought needs to occur on their role in your life and your exposure to them. However, holding others to your standards of perfection will frequently sabotage the relationships that are or could be healthy.
Perfectionism can come from many different places: our childhood and family values, images and thoughts encouraged in society, and basic anxiety. Anxiety will feed your perfectionism and be fueled by it.
How can your standards be achievable and contribute to your work and life, rather than hinder it?
