What to do if perfectionism is uncomfortable

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Are you a perfectionist? Congratulations! You have every chance to change the world. Unless, of course, the constant striving for perfection does not cause you inconvenience. To better manage this trait, take a look at the following seven tips from Diana Romanovskaya.

Perfectionism is the pursuit of perfect results, perfection and excellence. It can cause many problems or help you achieve outstanding results. Being a perfectionist is difficult, living with a perfectionist is difficult, but using products created by a perfectionist is a dream. Apple appliances, Starbucks coffee, Donna Tartt novels. Perfectionists don't just work, they make life better.

If you consider yourself a perfectionist and sometimes the pursuit of excellence gives you some inconvenience, check out the following seven tips.

Deal with your surroundings

You are sensitive to criticism and opinions of others. Get rid of the influence of those who fuel your insecurities. Skeptics, cynics, losers. Those who treat you badly. If the person thinks that you are doing nonsense, constantly tells you about it and thus demoralizes, stop communicating with him.

Find like-minded people. Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams, support and inspire you. Those who energize you and motivate you to move forward. Take the initiative, get to know each other, offer your help, be sincere in communication with others and be honest. Gradually, step by step, you will be able to change your environment and your life.

However, if you are an introvert, insecure and shy, building a solid pool of entourage is difficult. In this case, a virtual company of people you admire and want to be like will help you.

All great people had idols and role models.

Winston Churchill was a model of strength and wisdom for Margaret Thatcher. She often raised her eyes to his portrait, which hung over her desk, and asked for advice. Madonna admires Jeanne d'Arc. The courage and uncompromising character of her heroine helped Madonna become the queen of the pop scene.

Business coach Barbara Sher, in her bestseller Dreaming Doesn't Hurt, gives advice on how to create a virtual support group. If you are having trouble communicating personally with people you admire and who can make you better, read their books or watch their talks. Ask yourself what they would do in a given situation.

Hone your craft

You experience doubts and self-doubt. This is normal for those who strive for the ideal. Knowledge and experience will help build self-esteem and provide a solid foundation. Your path is to slowly and surely improve your skills, learn from the best, and train.

And this is almost the only way to increase productivity. It will allow you to reach professional heights and do your job brilliantly. Exercise constantly, attend seminars, master classes, conferences. Read books, learn from the experience of people who have achieved success in your field.

Find something for yourself in an area that values quality, not speed. You don't know how to work fast. You are a marathon runner, not a sprinter. Blitzkrieg is not for you. Avoid work that involves high speed and mediocre quality.

Switch

You have a tendency to skid on details. Getting stuck on polishing small things, you miss deadlines, lose your passion, self-confidence and interest in the business. Switching from one activity to another will help you step aside and see the forest behind the trees. Take regular breaks and return to work with a fresh perspective.

Pauses should be full, their purpose is to distract you from your main activity.

Most of the famous perfectionists were versatile personalities and had many unrelated hobbies. These varied hobbies helped them work effectively.

Benjamin Franklin, the founding father of the United States, loved to write, invent, and host round tables on certain topics. Leonardo da Vinci, in addition to painting, was fond of the exact sciences, architecture and medicine. Alexander Dumas (father) was an excellent culinary specialist. Mendeleev sewed shoes.

It is also very effective to alternate the ways and places of work. Mark Twain loved to write while lying down. Steve Jobs negotiated while hiking. David Schultz used morning jogging to find solutions.

Learn to trust others

You won't accomplish much on your own. Use perfectionist Richard Branson's recipe: If you want to do a great job, surround yourself with great people, and be a strategist yourself. It is difficult to move forward without partners and a team. Your time, energy and energy are limited, remember this. Learn to trust, support, and inspire other people.

If you want to do a job well, do it yourself.

Perfectionist slogan

A few months ago, the news of a successful startup thundered. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg bought the MSQRD app, which was made by Belarusian developers. Evgeny Nevgen and Sergei Gonchar cite a well-chosen team as the key reason for their success. They managed to create a symbiosis of great developers, marketers and negotiators. Each team member was competent in their field and knew what to do. Hence the brilliant result.

Meet the deadlines

Traditional time management doesn't work well for perfectionists. The idea of the perfect product is stronger than the deadline. But without meeting deadlines, it is impossible to achieve success.

To keep within the allotted time, use another trait of your character - responsibility. Make promises to people. And do it publicly better. Then you will try very hard to be in time.

Put a point

It is common for perfectionists to cool off as they work and leave unfinished business, even if there are only a few touches left. Let your creation see the light. Do not double-check your actions dozens of times, do not seek approval from other people. Don't let doubts cool you down and make you quit. Only a prepared pie can be eaten, only a tailored suit can be worn, only in a built house can one live. If the worm of insecurity continues to grind you, use an effective psychological trick.

Treat your product like the first version.

Then, if you want, you will make a second version, an improved version, a third one. Bake another cake, sew another suit This will give you the courage to stay on track and cross the finish line.

Having put a point, go ahead and do not look back. Don't waste energy on criticism and self-criticism, but take on the next project.

Exercise, don't work

Taking the first step too often gets in the way. And it is the most difficult and most important. If you are afraid to start and think too long, cheat. Get into exercise, not work. This will help break down the psychological barrier. Don't write a poem, but practice. Don't write a novel, but sketch. And there is a high probability that what started out as exercise will grow into a full-fledged masterpiece.

I'm much better at rehearsing than playing

Faina Ranevskaya

And please don't try to cultivate a sloppy attitude towards work. This is easy to do. And to re-cultivate scrupulousness is almost impossible. Don't learn to do your job slipshod and take your responsibilities sloppy and careless. It will hurt you and the world will lose its chance to get better.