According to Dr. Helm, Perfectionism is defined as "attaching irrational importance to being perfect."
Left unchecked, perfectionism will cause us all kinds of problems at work and in our personal lives. The first step away from the harms of perfectonism is awareness.
Here are some common perfectionistic traits to be aware of:
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Overworking: taking much longer than required to accomplish a task in order to get it precisely right.
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Procrastination: putting off starting a task because you are afraid of falling short of your own lofty expectations.
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Inability to Delegate: worrying too much that others will not be able to live up to your high ideals.
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Unable to accept constructive criticism: an inability to accept positive criticism due to feelings of inadequacy.
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Constant self-criticism: a tendency to continually be hard on yourself, and find it difficult to accept compliments because you believe your work is never good enough.
- Overly critical of others: because you hold other people to the same high standards that you do, you will be harsh with them.
By accepting that we're not perfect and putting our attention on making progress, we can give ourselves the freedom to be more successful.
How have you experienced or dealt with Perfectionism? Share your thoughts and experiences in comments below.
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