Your Tips & Suggestions on coping with Perfectionism

Please reply with your input here!

Focus on completion without perfection.

Ask yourself "do you want it perfect or do you want it done?"

Try to step back and look at things from a distance or "the big picture". Ask yourself: "is it really important that there is a loose thread on a pair of pants or that a child has a crumb on his face"?

Focus on what is really important in life. As yourself if it is really important to read through that stack of newspapers before you chuck them out? How much time will that take? Is it easier to just let them go?

Don't beat yourself up about small mistakes.

If you make a small mistake, try to move past it if it isn't a "show stopper" and won't cause any safety issues (obviously!). Move forward and see how much you can get done if you don't focus on doing every task to perfection. Over time, you will become more comfortable with small flaws in things. It will become easier to let mistakes go and focus on the whole job instead of just the details. Pretty soon it will become easier to start jobs, too, because you won't be afraid to fail anymore.

Ask yourself "what is the worst thing that can happen if I" (fill in blank here)? Usually, nothing bad will happen and you can move past it. Force yourself past the uncomfortable feeling and retrain yourself to move on. It is possible!!!