If comparison is the thief of joy, then perfectionism is the killer of progress. Humans aren’t flawless; it’s not in their nature. Aiming for this condition is an impossible task that hinders your success and leads you to downfall. It becomes a trap when you believe nothing is sufficient. So why chase something you can’t reach? Obsessing over every detail and trying to control the outcomes of your efforts won’t lead you anywhere. Perfectionist tendencies such as analysis paralysis and procrastination add to anxiety and the fear of not meeting unrealistically high expectations. Learning to give yourself grace and question assumptions that stem from the innate necessity to be perfect will free you from unnecessary stress and tension. 

Unexamined Beliefs

Perfectionism stems from underlying beliefs about oneself. The story you tell yourself comes from others’ perceptions, messages from the media, completed achievements, and more. Although they’re not always obvious, you can bring them to light if you question the reasoning and logic behind them. Often, these come from external sources, so you should analyze how valid they are. You’ll find that your self-criticism will decrease, leading you to stop setting extreme standards for yourself. Replace your “all-or-nothing mindset” to meet the middle ground so that you can focus on your own pace and advancement. Remember that whatever you believe about yourself is true. Your mind accepts what you tell it to be factual. It can either save or destroy you. Choose to make it work for you. Don’t allow it to lead to your own destruction. 

“Good Enough” is Enough

This personality trait hinders improvement because it evokes the fear of making mistakes. This can originate from a childhood in a home where slip-ups weren’t deemed normal or acceptable. Instead of taking action, you fall into the vicious cycle of delay and procrastination, thinking it’s not the right time. Perfectionists often don’t like taking risks and overthink before coming to a decision. If you are one, you’ll notice that you’re stuck in the same position because you can’t accept the fact that you will face challenges and flaws. You could think making mistakes would hold you back and keep you from moving forward, but it’s the opposite. The obsession can be detrimental to the point that you avoid writing in a new notebook because you don’t want to “ruin” it by misspelling a word. This is why progress over perfection is everything. Embrace the “good enough” approach and continuous iteration until you achieve your goal.

Setting extremely high expectations and standards is an unrealistic, impossible endeavor that leads to missed opportunities and burnout. Shifting your mindset to accept “good enough” will allow you to move forward and better handle the challenges and internal but beautiful complexities of being human. You can’t make room to grow if you keep clinging to these tendencies, limiting beliefs, and assumptions. It takes unlearning what you’ve always known to be true to escape a false reality that has been restricting you from reaching your potential.

Editor: Shannon Hensley