WHEN IS PERFECTIONISM A PROBLEM?
I discuss this fine line with clients a lot!
There is functional and non-functional perfectionism - perfectionism can be functional and useful if it as long as it is not paralyzing you. Perfectionism becomes non-functional & unhelpful when the stress of reaching perfect paralyzes you from doing anything because you’re afraid that the result won’t be perfect.
Non-functional Perfectionists often have a low tolerance for a learning curve. Perfectionism may also discourage you from starting or learning something new because you’re not going to be as good as it as your perfectionist standards demand. You feel you need to be good at something immediately or its not worth it.
This “immobilization” experienced by those who have non-functional perfectionism can be rooted in many fears such as fear of failure, fear of judgement, etc.
DID YOU KNOW A PERFECTIONIST CAN HAVE A MESSY ROOM?
It's not that Perfectionists don't know how to organize, in fact it's often the exact opposite! Perfectionists often know lots of different organizational techniques and methods. The stress of choosing the BEST method to organize leaves the immobilized in starting organizing at all! Thus, it is not uncommon to see a Perfectionist with a messy room - in fact, it is totally normal!
"Nothing is going to look good ENOUGH." The fear of yielding an imperfect result has made the task of organizing a messy room too overwhelming to even start.
60% IS BETTER THAN 0%
The truth is there is no such this as perfect. Striving for perfection is an aimless goal.The result of perfectionism is often that you get ZERO done. You’d rather get 0% on a test, rather than put all your energy in and still come up short. If you struggle with getting started due to your perfectionist standards, it’s important to remember that seeing someone elses end result is not what it looked like in the beginning. The end result is often multiple edits, years of practice, etc.
Not starting because you’d rather not try for fear of coming up short, goes against the very truth that SUCCESS (not perfection), comes with practice! So next time you want to turn away from a new opportunity for fear of a “less than perfect” result, remember each effort is part of your path to success.
Let us know if this was helpful in the comments below!
