Perfectionism is a curse that most of us carry around, thinking it’s a positive trait. Society has programmed us to believe that striving for perfection is the key to success. But the truth is far from this. Perfectionism is the root cause of anxiety, fear, and overwhelm that haunt us every day.

You’ve Been Programmed to Create Struggle

We have been conditioned by society to believe that we need to be perfect in the eyes of others. We believe that this is the only way to be successful. From a very young age, we’re told to study hard, get good grades, go to college, land a good job, get married, and have kids. If we don’t achieve these goals, we’re labelled as failures.

You’ve Been Programmed to Remain in the Struggle

The problem with perfectionism is that it keeps us stuck in a loop of struggle. We keep striving, working harder and harder, and never truly feeling satisfied with our accomplishments. We believe that if we just work a little harder, we’ll finally achieve perfection. But the reality is perfection is an unattainable goal.

Society Has Programmed You

Society has programmed us to believe that perfection is the key to success. We see it all around us – in advertisements, social media, and even in our workplaces. We’re told to strive for excellence, to be the best, and to never settle for less. But what does this really achieve? It creates a culture of fear, stress, and burnout.

Let Me Give You an Example…

I recently spoke to a person who proudly identified himself as a perfectionist. He was always trying to do everything in his life with perfection. He didn’t like anyone doing work without perfection. At first, it sounded like a positive trait. But the cost of this behaviour became clear. He was too hard on himself, constantly afraid that if he stopped working hard with perfection, all of his results would crumble down. This created anxiety, fear, and overwhelm that even 100 psychologists couldn’t help him with.

The Mind Shift You Need

Perfectionism is not a positive trait. It’s a curse that keeps us stuck in a loop of struggle. But there’s a way out of this mindset. Here are some tips to help you shift your perspective:

1. Understand that perfection is an unattainable goal. It’s impossible to be perfect in every aspect of your life.
2. Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate your small wins and accomplishments along the way.
3. Accept your flaws and imperfections. They make you unique and human.
4. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself with the same compassion and empathy that you would show to a friend.
5. Finally, let go of the need to please everyone else. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. You’re already enough as you are.