Overcoming Perfectionism. How? Drop Perfect and Go for Done. It sounds too simple, doesn’t it? Keep reading.
Jon Acuff’s book, Finish: Give Yourself The Gift of Done, is based on studies conducted by a university researcher studying hundreds of participants in his online course. The course was specifically designed to help people work on their goals. In reading his book, I learned something surprising about overcoming perfectionism: The most effective exercises were not those that pushed people to work harder. The ones that got people to the finish line did just the opposite— they took the pressure off.
Why?
Because the sneakiest obstacle to meeting your goals is not laziness, but perfectionism.
We’re our own worst critics, and if it looks like we’re not going to do something right, we prefer not to do it at all. That’s why we’re most likely to quit on day two, “the day after perfect”—when our results almost always under-perform our aspirations.
And know this: if you are a trained professional, that also means that you are a trained perfectionist. And in your profession or business, there are areas in which you must maintain this standard, such as accurate financial statements. But what all your training didn’t do is teach you when this level of perfection was only not needed, but can be detrimental to your success.
One of the keys to dropping perfection is to stop caring what other people think. This is a hard one especially for compassionate people because the core of their being seems outwardly focused. My clients have proved to me time and again, that when they focus on what they want, what will make them happy, those around them are happier.
Find yourself getting stuck or overwhelmed? Ask yourself the following three questions:
- Is it better to have this done then have it perfect?
- Is this something I will regret not doing more than doing?
- If I didn’t care what other people thought, what would be possible?
Overcoming perfectionism is a key strategy for people who struggle with self-doubt. Watch next week’s blog post for the next strategies in this series of overcoming self-doubt. Or if you would like the complete list of 10 strategies along with some of the reasons “why” it can be challenging to overcome self-doubt then download the complete article called “Overcoming Self-Doubt: When the 5-Second Rule Doesn’t Work for You” on my Resources/Tools page
I would love to hear your comments on:
Have you struggled with perfectionism?
What areas of your life is it stopping you from reaching your goals?
If you could complete one thing this week to get you closer to an important goal, what would it be?
Sometimes even the strongest person needs support to move forward on something they don’t feel confident on. And for those of you that suffer from more overwhelming self-doubt, know that many of my clients started out feeling that way too until they worked with me and practiced these strategies (and others created just for their situation) that helped them overcome the doubt they had in themselves. If self-doubt is stopping you from reaching your business or personal goals then email me at anita@professionalcoachingcompany.com for a complimentary clarity session.
Want to know more about the complimentary clarity session first and/or book your appointment online then go to http://professionalcoachingcompany.com/clarity-session/