You Don’t Have to Be Perfect

There is nothing wrong with striving to do your best.

But what paralyzes some women is striving to be “perfect.”

I just read that not only does trying to be perfect cause an enormous amount of stress, studies have shown that it can also cause you an early admission into the “Pearly Gates.”

Perfectionism is not an illness—it’s a personality trait—so here are some ways to overcome it, especially if it stresses you out and keeps you from finishing anything you have started.

1. When you make small mistakes, do not fix them. I’m not talking about a heart surgeon or even an incomplete loan application.  I’m talking about a missed comma in an email.  Making sure everything on your desk is always in perfect order.  That everything in your purse is in its place.  In the whole scheme of things, it’s more important to spend your precious time getting things (projects) “done” than spending endless hours making it perfect.
2. Set a time limit. When you set a time limit for a project or marketing strategy, you force yourself to do a “good enough” job, and then you can work on perfecting it as you go along.  If you think you have unlimited time, a perfectionist will take a longer time to complete anything.
3. Enjoy the task. It’s the old saying, “It’s not the destination, but the journey that counts.”   Think about your project or task as an adventure, an experience, and not necessarily the perfect outcome.

Oh, and one last thing.  While perfectionism can drive you crazy, think about what it does to the people around you.

Concentrate on friends and family and tell yourself that you are “good enough.”