This weekend, my friend and I were discussing our tendencies towards perfectionism. Overthinking the little things has become the norm for us, and I think this is true for a huge number of students. The pressure to be high-achieving often feels like it is looming over us. Grades can have a huge impact on one’s self-worth and even future. Many feel imposter syndrome and that they need to be perfect in order to combat this, but is the answer to this pressure really perfectionism?
Perfectionism can feel like a safety blanket. If you constantly stress about the little details of things, you can avoid being criticized, right? Trying to retain some control in a world where things often feel out of control is only natural. That is just one reason many resort to perfectionism. The one thing that you have absolute command over is your own actions, making perfectionism seem like the only choice for success.
What is harder to realize is that being a perfectionist does not mean your work will turn out better or people will like you more; it just places an extra level of pressure on you. More time spent agonizing over an assignment or decision can, in reality, be counterproductive. It can take away the genuine aspect of things and replace them with a carefully curated shadow. In my opinion, the genuine is much more valuable than a failed attempt to be perfect. There is no successful attempt because perfection is an unattainable standard.
Giving yourself the grace to be imperfect can be difficult when perfectionism has become ingrained, but being human is being imperfect. Rather than striving to be perfect, the better option is to strive to do our best. When you have an assignment coming up that you are too nervous about to start, just start it. Your work does not have to be perfect, and once you realize this, it becomes a lot easier to live life and let in happiness without unrealistic standards.
Perfectionism can hold you back from something even more valuable than perfection: freedom from your own unreachable standards. I know it is hard to move on from perfectionism entirely, but a conscious effort to be more understanding with yourself can be invaluable. It can be part of a greater shift towards loving your own small imperfections rather than criticizing them.