Letting Go of Perfectionist Tendencies

Everyone wants to be liked by others, but in some cases that comes at the expense of our own happiness and well being. Whether we want to admit it or not, many of us have these perfectionist tendencies.

We are raised to get good grades, play sports, serve the community, and do many other things that hinge on never making a mistake or being wrong about something. That continues on to the working world, where we feel pressure to be perfect or suffer professional consequences as a result.

Letting go of some of those feelings can lead to a more free and peaceful life in the long run. Here are some ways you can make that happen:

Focus On the Big Picture

If you’re a perfectionist, you likely spend more time than you should agonizing over every little thing you do or say. It may be out of fear that it will be taken the wrong way and your peers will think less of you as a result.

Rather than getting caught up in the minutia, shift your attention to being as good of a person as you possible can be on a large scale. You’ll be surprised at how those little things then fall into place. And, if something does go wrong, you can rest easy knowing that it’s unlikely to change anyone’s overall impression of you.

Make Your Feelings Known

Perfectionists tend to put everyone else’s needs before their own. They think that expressing something they want will make people think differently of them or harm their reputation.

While this is necessary in some situations, hiding your wants and feelings all the time can lead to irrational feelings of resentment that become worse over time.

Even best friends and loved ones are not mind readers, so you can’t expect them to know what you want if you do not vocalize it. In the end, speaking up means you’re more likely to get what you want and the person giving it to you will feel satisfied, too.