Perfectionism involves the tendency of setting high standards which are very difficult to meet. Perfectionists commonly believe that anything short of perfection is horrible. They think that minor imperfections lead to catastrophe. They also feel that it is very significant to perform better and not to make mistakes (Gould, 2012). However, there are others who believe that it is inevitable to make mistakes from time to time and that errors do not denote failure.
However, individuals with perfectionism usually believe people ought not to make mistakes and making mistakes is a sign of failure and disappointment to others. This way of thinking makes them scared of making mistakes. Striving for perfection makes people stressed as well as disappointed especially when they fail to meet their expectations (Gould, 2012). This makes them believe that they are not as capable as the others. Thus, this assumption and belief can create an inhospitable environment for quality development and one that has a lot of issues in it. This mentality is hard to work and live in. Therefore, it is vital to loosen up your standards to ease anxiety and stress that you feel from striving to perfect (Agathangelou, 2015).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
To change this perception, individuals with perfectionism need to learn to recognize perfectionism as it helps them realize whether they have the problem (Agathangelou, 2015). The individual will then have to change his/her perfectionistic thinking through realistic thinking. This can be achieved by seeing things from different perspectives and also by looking at the bigger picture instead of focussing on smaller details. Some of the questions to ask yourself to help worry less include does it matter? Can I survive if the worst happens? And whether it will be a concern tomorrow or the other days to follow. Through this, the perception of perfectionism can be changed. We should also be supportive if an individual makes a mistake. This aids in giving room for improvement and in mitigating the risks in the future. If an individual makes a mistake, it should be analyzed systematically to ensure it is not repeated. Bu doing so, the perception that “ perfection is expected, and mistakes aren’t allowed” can be changed.
References
Agathangelou, F. (2015). How to Stop Being a Perfectionist. [Online]. Available at: https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2015/09/how-to-stop-being-a-perfectionist . Accessed 5 th Sept 2018.
Gould, J. (2012). Overcoming Perfectionism. [Online]. Available at: http://thuvienso.bvu.edu.vn/bitstream/TVDHBRVT/15275/1/Overcoming-Perfectionism.pdf . Accessed 5 th Sept 2018.
