Perfectionism will ruin your life.
…or, at least really diminish the quality of it.
Perfectionism = Waiting until you think you can complete a task “perfectly” before getting started.
Sound familiar?
For years I put off getting started on projects I was excited about because of this internal nagging feeling that I didn’t have ‘what it takes’ to complete it perfectly… to my internal high standards.
I’m surprised I ever went through with creating a Youtube channel.
Honestly…
I convinced myself I needed a better camera….
Then, when I got the camera…
I needed better lighting…
Or, I didn’t have my makeup quite right –
I would delete perfectly good videos (that would probably have been very helpful to others!) – because the audio quality wasn’t perfect – or I didn’t like how I looked.
Have you ever done this with clutter? Looked a big pile of paperwork and thought “I just don’t have time to organized that perfectly, so I’ll just wait until I do to do anything about it…”
AND THEN MONTHS GO BY…
Perfectionism leads to procrastination…
Putting things off because “We need to do the job RIGHT!“…
Here are 10 Examples of Perfectionism leading to procrastination:
1. Not starting a healthy eating plan because you “need to learn how to meal prep and learn how to make some great recipes first.”
2. Not de-cluttering your living room because you “need to buy fancy organizing baskets and bins like the ones you saw on that HGTV show”.
3. Not starting to write your book because you’re not exactly sure how you want to organize the chapters.
4. Not signing up for that dating site because you still want to lose 10 pounds so you can look and feel ‘your best.’
5. Not inviting anyone over to your new home yet because you still have to ‘finish decorating’ ( i.e. make it look perfect before anyone sees it and judges you…)
There are SO many ways that perfection rears it’s ugly head in our lives – and all it does is stop us from FULL LIVING.
So, what’s this cure I mentioned?…
Ready for it?
The CURE to perfectionism is:
BABY STEPS.
Doing the tiniest, most seemingly insignificant action on the task.
Setting a timer helps tremendously!
Here’s an example:
You want to have a completely organized home so that you’re not embarrassed when your family comes to visit. You don’t want to live in clutter anymore but you don’t have the time to do it ‘right – the way that you want to do it.
So, when your instincts tell you to push the job off to some imaginary future date – instead, set a timer for 10 minutes. Yes… only 10 minutes… and open one drawer and get to work.
That’s all you are committing to – getting 10 minutes of de-cluttering in one drawer done.
Throw out, recycle or shred any papers that you don’t need.
When that timer goes off, you’re DONE.
That’s it.
Two things will happen:
You will be surprised how much you actually got done in only 10 minutes.
AND…
The feeling of accomplishment you feel for sticking with something and completing your 10 minute timer task.
You can use this babystep principle for anything!
10 minutes of cardio exercise at home – if fitness is your goal.
15 minutes of healthy meal planning for the week.
10 minutes of de-cluttering your email inbox.
15 minutes of paying all your bills.
You can do this.
Perfectionism will still pop its head in every once in a while, and try to convince you to procrastinate on jobs and projects until you’re have the time to do things perfectly – but you now have a tool beat that.
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