Perfectionism is the exceptional striving to achieve the set standard in the hope of perfect results over the given input. It often comes with the dogma of wanting the work to be done at its best or crap all of it.

This “do-it-best” or “nothing” concept of perfectionism is one of the major setbacks faced by aspiring young individuals who are willing to contribute to the community in any way of skills possessed yet taken away by feeling inadequate or insufficient enough to put themselves out there to give their best shot

Perfectionism collides with the idea of reaching the “impeccable state/ flawlessness” which makes it a negative trait in most cases. However, positive perfectionism if handled under correct balance could go a long way as mentioned in POSITIVE CONCEPTION OF PERFECTIONISM by Stoeber and Otto, a personality and psychological review where they highlight the fact that perfectionism is not inherently negative. Positive perfectionism emphasizes the existence of adaptive dimensions that contribute to personal growth and achievement.

Yet it is noteworthy to understand that positive perfectionism conforms with the term “excellence” where the target is striving for the best in expectation of higher achievement by putting in your maximum effort.

THE UNDERLYING ISSUE OF PERFECTIONISM

Perfectionistic traits arise due to various reasons, which mostly correlate with societal influences, self-set standards, childhood trauma, parental expectation, social validation, inflexible thinking, rejection, fear of failure, low self-esteem and comparison,

The study Perfectionism as a Transdiagnostic Process: Clinical Psychology Review, portrays how perfectionism contributes to the maintenance of disorders like depression, and anxiety

As stated, Perfectionism stands out in an “All or Nothing” stance disregarding any work put in with the efforts as deficient or mediocre. This mindset leads to a lowering of confidence and keeps the individuals driven away from reaching their goals or prevents them from taking that initial step towards their route due to fear of being imperfect, rejected and criticized. Ultimately, this makes it difficult to cultivate a growth mindset and acknowledge mistakes.

The feeling of deficiency and doubtfulness of one’s own talent and skills, on a communal level downbeats the aspiring youngsters who want to create a positive change with their knowledge and abilities. Tangled and trapped under perfectionism, youngsters are held away from contributing to the world and mastering their field of work. Perfectionism is an unrealistic model of living life, rather it’s the excellence we ever need to strive for.

“Do not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded” -Prophet Muhammed صلى الله عليه وسلم [ Sahih al-Bukhari 39 ]

Excellency vs Perfectionism ©sajidhajiffrey

The importance of excellence is emphasised throughout the arena of personal development. It’s the core factor behind great achievements.

The importance of excellence is manifest in the words of Prophet Muhammed صلى الله عليه وسلم

The distance between every two degrees is like the distance between the sky and the Earth, so if you ask God for anything, ask Him for the Firdaus, for it is the last part of Paradise and the highest part of Paradise [Bukhari 7423] .

Al Firdaus is the highest class of paradise and he صلى الله عليه وسلم urged us to aim for the highest part of paradise. This indicates the significance of aiming for greater heights and working to the best of our ability which is excellence.

STRATEGIES TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE PERFECTIONISTIC CLUTCH

📍ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

1. Review your goals -

Have a strong sense of “WHY” behind your goals and think of the actions you’d undertake to reach your dreams. Visualize the bigger picture.

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do”.

- Epictetus

2. Acknowledge your perfectionistic tendencies -

Address the specific behaviours keeping you stuck from getting your work done. identify and understand the negative impacts of perfectionism in your life and where in life you’re allowing it to overtake you. Recognize that perfectionism can lead to stress, anxiety, procrastination, and even hinder your progress

✅ Tip : write your perfectionist traits and declutter your mind . In this regard , you can clearly face the elements that's keeping you back

📍 YES, GET THE THING STARTED

The most crucial part is getting started. Without action, no intention is worth it. Just after you acknowledge and review your goals, it’s time to work on it. Remember you’re crafting your life, it’s your job to design it. It’s tailored by your actions. No amount of validation or comparison is worth dropping your passion and work. As for perfectionism, you either execute and face it or remain in the same phase

3. Analyze the pathway -

Examine the pathway and systemic steps you’d implement to get closer to your dreams. Plan out your approach and be ready to perform.

4. Set realistic tiny goals to achieve -

Break your goals into tiny achievable objectives and appreciate your achievement upon completion

“The remedy for confusion is to take small steps in knowledge for it will guide you to the path of guidance.”

— Ibn Qayyim

5. Allocate a specific time limit for each task -

This will allow you to finish your task quicker and prevent you from further procrastination

📍SUPPRESS FEAR, FACE IT

6. Question yourself -

Imagine the worst possible scenario that could occur if you just start and get it going! you’ll surely come to know it’s not going to be that bad. Most of our fears are myths or just misunderstood perceptions of reality.

7. Challenge the negative thoughts -

Suppress pessimistic whispering. Every thought is under your control and your life works in accordance with the quality of your thoughts

8. Be optimistic -

Focus on the positives. Every time you look into your flaws, recall the positive you hold and the faculties you’re proficient at and how they can potentially take you to greater heights. While working on correcting your flaws, never forget to build and improve the positive aspects.

📍EMBRACE MISTAKES — BE OPEN TO LEARNING

You’re not a bot to get it done all perfect and heavenly. Mistakes are essential for growth and improvement.

9. Embrace your flaws and learn from them.

10. Be open to criticism and feedback-

Take the feedback as an opportunity to make your next move a better one.

“A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.

-Marcus Aurelius ”

📍ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Love the process through all the hard work and effort. Go with the momentum and you will eventually reap the harvest. Don’t give up, keep going and love every single phase of your journey, for looking back years later will only fill you with immense happiness and contentment for not lagging behind fear or giving up