Quotes On Perfectionism – 7 Ways To Get Over Perfectionism
Looking for quotes on perfectionism? Here are the best quotes and 7 tips for getting over perfectionism with ease.
Let’s chat about quotes on perfectionism.
If you’re a perfectionist, you probably find that it’s a really challenging way to live – that needs for things to be perfect ALL THE TIME.
In most cases, the desire for perfectionism leads to a road to disappointment and dissatisfaction that can have a negative impact on the relationships in your life.
Consider the following perfectionism quotes:
When perfectionism is driving us, shame is riding shotgun and fear is that annoying backseat driver. Brene Brown
Perfectionism is a dream killer because it’s just fear disguised as trying to do your best. It just is. Mastin Kipp
Perfectionism is a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from taking flight. Brene Brown
When you’re a perfectionist, it might feel like nothing you ever do will be perfect enough.
And that’s because there is no such thing as perfection!
If we decided to wait for perfection to turn up, we would be waiting for the rest of our life. Perfectionism is sometimes just an excuse for self-criticism.
It also consists of demanding a higher level of performance than the situation sincerely dictates.
The key to excellence and happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection and is finding an optimum performance level to achieve good results.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to help you escape your quest for perfectionism:
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 1 – Give yourself a break.
Eliminating the urge to have everything perfect takes time.
If you are a serial perfectionist, I think it’s important to take it slow and congratulate yourself for each victory, even the small ones.
Set yourself reasonable goals and reward your accomplishments.
Remember Rome wasn’t built in one day.
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 2 – Provide everyone else a break, too.
Trying to be perfect and expecting the same from others is an attempt to control them.
But guess what!
People can do whatever they want.
They can think their own thoughts and feel their own feelings and decide exactly what standard they want to work towards because you telling them what to do.
Expecting perfectionism from others can be extremely off-putting because others have the freedom to act without being criticized.
Make others feel great and allow them to make their own decisions instead of judging them.
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 3 – Learn how to see all the variations.
Just because something is less than 100% doesn’t mean it equals zero.
That’s an overly simplified way of dealing with the world.
I personally love aiming for a B- grade in my work.
Why?
Well because the pressure is off for me to achieve an A+ grade AND I can always easily lift a B- grade to something higher if I want to.
The pressure simply doesn’t exist for me to be perfect right off the bat.
Try to avoid viewing everything as all-or-nothing.
Things can be totally fine even if they don’t meet a so-called perfect standard.
Learn to understand when something is good enough so you can then move on to the next thing.
Spending more time or effort than necessary on something is far from being perfect.
In fact it could be just a waste of your time.
If you think about it, perfectionism a way of being excessive when it isn’t necessary and inefficient with your valuable time.
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 4 – Avoid over-emphasizing negative results.
So you made a mistake?
Big deal.
So you didn’t get the result you wanted?
That’s okay too.
Negative results are part of our journey in life and the trick is to see them as a stepping stone to greater success, rather than evidence of anything else.
Avoid giving negative results any more relevance than they deserve.
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 5 – Develop your sense of humor.
With a good sense of humor, you can shift your perspective quickly and easily.
This makes it easier to deal with those situations that turn out less than perfect.
Have a laugh and let it go.
Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order. Anne Wilson Schaef
Good enough is good enough. Perfect will make you a big fat mess every time. Rebecca Wells
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 6 – Realize that most mistakes aren’t fatal.
News alert: nearly any mistake can be corrected or resolved.
So when things go in an unplanned direction, go with the flow.
I know, I know, this can be challenging for a perfectionist but it’s important to avoid letting your emotions lead you to a negative, unproductive state.
Instead, be proactive and start coming up with solutions that will still take you to your goal.
They may include a temporary detour, or take longer than originally planned, but the end result will be satisfactory.
I don’t know who started this thing about being perfect but the sooner we ditch that idea the happier we all will be. Alastair Arnott
There is a difference between obsessive perfectionism and taking time to create something that is the best you can offer. Knowing what needs to be better and stretching to improve yourself is what separates the mediocre from the marvelous. Suzanna Reeves
OVERCOMING PERFECTIONISM
TIP # 7 – Avert the urge to use perfectionism as a way to procrastinate.
Oh yes please don’t overlook this as being the real reason for your perfectionism (if this is the case for you!)
Some perfectionists actively avoid beginning a task that’s less than desirable because they are really PROCRASTINATING.
But guess what?
Getting started and making a few mistakes is way more preferable than doing nothing at all or getting started too late.
Don’t let perfectionism become an excuse for never getting started. Marilu Henner
The truth is perfectionism can negatively impact your life because it’s an ineffective and unenjoyable way to live.
Learn to let go of your need to be perfect.
You will honestly be so much happier in life when you learn to let go of perfectionism.
And your loved ones will be happier, too!
Consider implementing these 7 tips to help free yourself from perfectionism and grant yourself so much more peace in life.
Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough – that we should try again. Julia Cameron
Suppose I were to give you a key ring with a hundred keys, and I were to tell you that one of these keys will unlock it, this door we’re imagining opening in onto all you want to be, as a player. How many of the keys would you be willing to try?’
[ … ] Well I’d try every darn one,’ Rader tells Lyle.
[ … ] ‘Then you are willing to make mistakes, you see. You are saying you will accept 99% error. The paralyzed perfectionist you say you are would stand there before that door. Jingling the keys. Afraid to try the first key. — David Foster Wallace
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I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.