How I Overcame Perfectionism (4 Coping Mechanisms)

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Overcoming perfectionism

Last week, I rearranged my home studio for the 2nd time in one month.

I turned everything around, tweaking and readjusting. 

"The light doesn't look good from that angle" - my inner critic said. 

And so I changed the position of my rim light.

"Those flowers aren't visible in the shot" - 

I moved the vase until I could see the flowers on my screen. 

I went on and on until I finally gave up.

Then I took a step back, brought out my phone, took a picture of my new set, and ... Oh my! It really did look good.

That was when I realized I had wasted the whole day tweaking and trying to have the best setup because somewhere in my head I kept thinking:

If you also struggle with perfectionism (like I did), a coping mechanism may be the best way to deal with it because it doesn’t go away overnight. 

It’s a simple system that helps you decrease the level of stress you feel on a daily basis. So instead of constantly striving for perfection - with the belief that imperfection is unacceptable, you're focusing on the positives and no longer afraid to put out your best work.

But unfortunately, It takes time to learn how to overcome it.

But it doesn't have to be that hard. By applying James Clear's rule of getting 1% better and making tiny improvements daily, you'll see noticeable changes in the long run.

So today I’m sharing 4 things I do to help you overcome perfectionism and be kinder to yourself.

Let's begin:

#1: By Becoming aware of your tendencies

The first thing I usually do is try to catch myself when I begin to have perfectionistic thoughts. I notice this when my inner critics begin to point fingers at my work, and then I start making unnecessary changes or giving excuses.

Identify your tendencies. It could be being highly self-critical, procrastination, or setting unrealistic goals....

You may not realize it but by becoming aware of these patterns, you're in a much better position to alter them.

#2: By ignoring your inner critics

We all have them, those critical voices in our head always telling us our work "Isn't good enough" or "We need to make one more edit" or "Someone else did it better".

If you're going to overcome perfectionism, you need to stop listening to your inner critic and start appreciating yourself and your work more.

#3: By honestly evaluating your expectations

When you set unrealistic goals for yourself, you overthink things and eventually stress out when you don't meet these expectations. 

Setting attainable goals will keep you from pursuing unattainable perfection. This way, you can achieve your goals faster with the resources you have.

Here's how I do this:

#4: By doing things afraid

The moment you decide to do something new - fear creeps in, filling your head with unsolicited opinions: "You'll fail", "This isn't the best time", or "Do it tomorrow", "No one will listen to you", "Don't post it just yet" blah blah blah!

You can either:

1. Accept it - throw your idea out the window (I wouldn't recommend this)
2. Ignore it - go ahead with your plans ✅

Do it afraid, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and keep going. This is the only way you're ever going to overcome that fear and build self-confidence.

Final Thoughts

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will you overcome perfectionism overnight.

The most important part of this? Committing to and trusting the process.

The more you make small intentional improvements daily, you begin to appreciate yourself and the amazing work you do. 

This is how you overcome perfectionism.

TD;LR

Remember: You're playing the long game. Focus on getting 1% better and making tiny improvements every single day.

I'm rooting for you always.

#KeepBuilding