Perfectionism?

Setting high standards is good, but if the standards are unrealistic, they can sabotage performance at work, quality of relationships, and enjoyment of life.

The first step to overcome maladaptive perfectionism is to be able to RECOGNISE it.

Here are some questions to answer to find out if you have a problem with maladaptive perfectionism.

-Are my standards unrealistic? E.g. Anything less than perfect work is a failure, or I have let others down.

-How do I feel when I am trying to meet my standards? Angry, frustrated, depressed, anxious.

-Is my self-talk overly critical? I believe it motivates me.

-What do others say about my standards?

-I constantly find myself procrastinating, giving up easily or have difficulty in finishing tasks.

If you have answered YES to some of the above questions, you may have a problem with perfectionism. Instead of working for you, it is working against you.

One action that you can take – identify your triggers, where are you, what situation, who is with you, what time of the day it is? You will find a pattern emerging. Then, work to manage these factors.

Remember that you are so much more valuable than the task at hand. Your self-worth is independent of the outcome of any task.