Do you find yourself constantly striving for perfection? Do you beat yourself up when you make a mistake or don't meet your own high standards? If so, you might be a perfectionist.
While there's nothing wrong with having high standards, when these standards become unrealistic and start to negatively impact your life, that's when they become a problem.
If you're not sure whether you're a perfectionist or just have high standards, here are three signs to look out for:
1. You're never satisfied with your work.
No matter how hard you try or how much effort you put in, it's never good enough for you. You're always finding ways to nitpick and criticize your own work, even when other people are telling you it's great.
2. You're a procrastinator.
Because you're never satisfied with your work, you tend to put off starting new projects or completing old ones. Why bother starting something if it's just going to be imperfect anyway?
3. You're hard on yourself.
You have extremely high standards for yourself, and you're always falling short in your own eyes. As a result, you're constantly beating yourself up, both mentally and emotionally. You might even feel like you're not good enough or that you don't deserve happiness.
How To Put Perfectionism in its Place
If you find yourself nodding along to any of the above signs, don't worry, you're not alone. Many people struggle with perfectionism, and it's definitely something that you can shift.
1. Define what perfection means to you.
This might seem like a strange tip, but it's actually really important. Oftentimes, people strive for perfection like constantly moving goal posts without even knowing what it is they're trying to achieve.
So, take a moment to sit down and think about what perfection means to you. What are your specific goals? What standards are you trying to meet? Once you have a better understanding of what you're striving for, it will be easier to identify when you've achieved your goal.
2. Set realistic standards.
Part of the problem with perfectionism is that people set unrealistic standards for themselves. They expect to be perfect all the time, and when they inevitably make a mistake, they feel like complete failures.
To avoid this trap, it's important to set realistic standards. This doesn't mean lowering your standards - it just means making sure they're achievable.
3. Give yourself grace.
One of the most important things to remember is that you're not perfect, and that's okay. Everyone makes mistakes, and it's important to give yourself grace when you do.
Recognizing that you're not perfect doesn't mean you're a failure—it just means you're human. And your uniqueness is something to be celebrated!