More About The Perfectionist
Going after our wildest dreams can be both exhilarating and scary. In order to protect us from the scary part, The Perfectionist shows up.
The Perfectionist tells us to focus on the most minute details. We become hyper-focused on creating the perfect plan or strategy. Except that plan never seems perfect enough. This keeps us in an endless loop of researching, planning and strategizing, with little to no action actually being taken.
This can result in weeks, months or even years working on the same project or idea, with little external progress to show for it. You know that saying “better done than perfect”? Well, The Perfectionist’s motto is “better perfect than done.”
The Perfectionist really just wants to protect you from failure. But if you don’t take any action, it’s also keeping you from success.
Keep reading to learn what to do about it.
YOUR INNER WORK WITH THE Perfectionist
The Perfectionist is ultimately trying to keep you safe from the unknown because it believes unknown territory increases the risk of failure. But, in trying to keep you safe, it’s also keeping you stuck. You could probably advise someone else on the exact steps they can take to get where you want to be. And yet, even with all the answers, they’re never quite right enough for you. In this case, your inner work becomes about 4 components — awareness, compassion, accountability, and celebration.
Your inner work
1 — AWARENESS
The Perfectionist is highly logical and will try to use logic to plead its case for perfection. Begin to create awareness of how The Perfectionist truly impacts your life by looking at the facts. Start by keeping a log of how much time you’re spending “perfecting” projects or ideas. How long have you actually been working on this? What’s been the ROI of this time? How much external action have you taken? This is all about creating awareness and clarity, because clarity creates space for choice.
2 — COMPASSION
The Perfectionist’s high standards also come with high criticism. Next time that criticism shows up, try meeting yourself with compassion instead. Invite this compassion by asking a few questions: How does The Perfectionist think it’s helping you right now? What is it trying to protect you from? How would you lovingly speak to a best friend if The Perfectionist was present for them?
3— ACCOUNTABILITY
After the compassion comes the action. And because The Perfectionist wants everything to be perfect, taking even the smallest step can feel like a big deal. So let’s remove some of that pressure, shall we? Let’s say, hypothetically, you were going to take one small step toward your vision today – what would it be? What if, ironically, you did that thing this week? Just to see. And then what if you ironically told a friend, coach, or other accountability partner about it so they can support you as you continued forward? Ironically, of course.
4 — CELEBRATION
You know those ironic small steps we were talking about a second ago? Celebrate every single one of them. The Perfectionist has probably told you that things are either perfect or worthless – no in between. That’s why it’s essential to build evidence for the contrary: When you take imperfect action, you’re moving in the direction of your inner vision, and that’s worthy of celebration. Because when you celebrate even the small wins, you build evidence for why it’s possible to move forward imperfectly and still be inherently valued, worthy and loved. ✨
Ready To Do Your Inner Work?
If you’re ready to take this information and put it to work, this clarity call is for you. Receive 1-1 mindset coaching, personalized insights, and tangible next steps to help you move beyond the limitations of The Perfectionist and step into possibility.