Hello my lovelies, in my last blog post I wrote about ‘what you need to know about perfectionism’. If you haven’t read that (yet), what are you waiting for? I will pause while you go and read the gems that I dropped in that post (if I may say so myself). OK, now that you are back, and I have your undivided attention, I am beginning to think that I may create a mini blog series about perfectionism…hmmm…food for thought. When I started to blog about the ‘P’ word I didn’t think that I’d enjoy writing about it so much, but here I am, two blog posts in. I like to think of myself as a critic of perfectionism, having been (and somewhat still am) a victim held in its clutch. But I am definitely making great progress and beginning to finally let go of the idea that I need to be perfect. And this is why I believe that I am qualified to talk to you about it. Read on for three steps that I am using in my journey to overcoming perfectionism, and that you can too.
Admit that you have a problem
Admittance is always the first step towards overcoming any problem; ask any drug or alcohol addict and they’d tell you this. A perfectionist problem is that their insecurity and fear are daintily disguised as their need to be perfect. One day I had to look myself square in the face and take accountability. I had to admit ( hard as it was) that I have a problem. I realized that unless I tackle this issue head on, I will continue to live my life a slave to nit-picking and obsessive meticulousness, which will ultimately wreak havoc on my mental health.
Recognize that you will never be perfect
This is the second step following admittance. Perfectionism is a myth, and in my opinion instils a sense of false security in over achievers (like me). You need to look yourself in the mirror and recognize that you are perfectly imperfect. Say an affirmation if that helps you. I use this one; ‘I will never be perfect and I am OK with that’.
Create strategies to solve the problem
So you have completed the first two steps towards overcoming perfectionism; what I like to call foundational tools in the fight against it. The third step is to create strategies to solve the problem. Without executing this step, the others are futile. This is where you now need to have an action plan to deal with your perfectionism. You need to have strategies that will effectively combat your perfectionistic ways. And because I am a good friend (inserts smiley face here), I have created some that will help you to do just that.
If you want to know about these strategies, stay tuned for my next blog post. I told you that I am thinking about doing a mini blog series about perfectionism, didn’t I? Well, looks like it’s been decided! Stick around for my upcoming post in this mini-series where I will cover four strategies to overcoming perfectionism; coming to a blog near you!
If you found this information helpful in any way, comment in the comment section and let me know. Until then, I leave you with this Egyptian proverb; ‘A beautiful thing is never perfect’.