How To Beat Perfectionism

Struggling with perfectionism can make day-to-day life extremely hard. Anything from starting a small task to a new hobby can become increasingly difficult. Sometimes it feels easier to just stay in bed all day to avoid struggling with a task. While perfectionism can’t be eliminated overnight, there are some strategies that will make life a little easier. Keep reading to find out more: 

Split Up Tasks

If perfectionism has you freezing up before you even start a task, try splitting it up into smaller portions. Take cleaning your room for example. If there is an overwhelming amount to do and you feel you’ll never get it the way you want it, split the room up into problem areas. Clean just your floor, then just your desk. Splitting up daunting tasks can help you get the ball rolling. 

Set Reasonable Goals

Perfectionism can also stop you from feeling successful as it often makes us set unrealistic goals. Telling yourself you need to get all As or join 10 different clubs and do amazing in all areas of life can burn you out quickly. Instead, really take the time to set realistic goals for yourself. If it’s important to you to get all As, realize you probably won’t be able to do as many extracurriculars. If you’re struggling with starting new hobbies or projects due to fear of failure, set a reasonable goal for a beginner. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to paint the Mona Lisa, but instead try a paint-by-number. Realizing how perfectionism sets unreasonable or impossible expectations is a huge step in dismantling that way of thinking. 

Say Yes

Perfectionism is often a roadblock in people’s path. It tells you that you’ll never be good enough and you shouldn’t even try. A huge part of fighting this mentality is just pushing right through it. Say yes to things you’re hesitant to try. The great thing about life is the possibilities of every choice you make. Fear of failure is very real, but you can’t know you’ll fail until you try. And think how great it will feel when you succeed! Remember to acknowledge and respect your concrete boundaries, but push yourself where you think it’s appropriate.

Celebrate Small Wins

When you’re trying to be perfect at everything, your mindset gets stuck on always improving and never looking back on where you came from. Take a step back and think about the small wins you had today, this week, or this month. A win can be anything from cleaning your room, to submitting an assignment, to starting a new hobby. Life is hard in the year 2021, so celebrate as much as you can.