How to let go of perfectionism
As entrepreneurs and business owners, it's important that we learn how to let go of perfectionism. This is something that can hold us back from making progress in our businesses, and can even lead to fear and anxiety. Perfectionism often causes us to be afraid of failure, and can give us that popular feeling of "imposter syndrome". Sound familiar? When we free ourselves from perfectionism, we can begin to think more creatively and authentically. We don't have to worry about what others may think of us, and we can become more patient with ourselves. So how do we let go of perfectionism?
We're going to run through 5 ways of overcoming perfectionism, so that we can begin to thrive in our businesses as well as our lives.
Before you read the rest of this blog post, you can also have a watch of our YouTube Short! ‘Don’t let perfectionism weigh you down’
How do we let go of perfectionism?
First, it's important to recognize when you're holding back on publishing or posting that piece of content, because of perfectionism. This can be difficult, as it often manifests itself in subtle ways but eventually you'll be able to make the distinctions. It's important to be patient with yourself as you work through these steps - it won't happen overnight.
Perfectionism is often driven by some sort of fear - fear of making a mistake, fear of being judged, etc. But let's look at it this way, what is 'fear'? F.E.A.R is an acronym for 'false evidence appearing real', and it's exactly that 'false evidence'. Once we realise that, it can drive us forward, and we become just a little bit more, worry-free.
When we're trying to be perfect we're actually not allowing ourselves to make mistakes. Which is a crucial step in business in helping us learn from them, and get better in our career and lives. The one major thing to stop doing is comparing yourself to others. A lot of our blocks come when we look at other peoples' lives, progress and content, and compare that with our own. Well, your journey is never going to be the replicate of someone else's. Also, remember, there are others out there looking at you, and your life, comparing it with their own. This reminds us, that there is no right or wrong. Continue doing your own thing, consistently and with good intentions.
We'll never reach that level of 'perfect'. For us human beings, there is no such thing because we can always improve no matter where we are in our businesses and careers. When we accept that we're not perfect, we free ourselves up to try new things and can take more risks.
When we focus on perfectionism too much, it can lead to us putting a lot of pressure on ourselves. There can be many ways to overcome this, including self-care practices, journaling but also listening to stories by other entrepreneurs. The latter is great for reminding ourselves that we're not the only ones going through this, we're not alone on this journey.
Progress, not perfection
The only real thing you really have control over is your own progress. You can't control the outcome, especially how people are going to react, but you can control how you show up every day and what actions you take.
If we get caught up on making things perfect then we end up taking no action at all. And that's the thing with perfectionism - it can become an excuse not to do anything.
Comparison can kill creativity
We touched on this above, but when we compare our content with other peoples', we lose our authenticity, and sense of self. Every person is completely unique in their own way, and so comparing yourself with someone totally different ....? Well that doesn't make sense anymore, right?
The only person you should really compare yourself to, is the person you were yesterday, last week, last month, or last year.
Your own progress is the only thing you can measure against.
To conclude ....
Letting go of this idea of “perfectionism” isn't going to happen overnight, but the practices we've spoken about in this post can help you let go of this idea, day by day.
It's a process, and some days will be harder than others. But it will be worth it, when you can start living your life without the chains of perfectionism holding you back. Your business will progress in ways you never thought possible, and who knows - maybe you'll even surprise yourself. So what are you waiting for?
Keep creating my friend, and keep sharing your ideas with the world!