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This week we look at people's need for perfectionism.

Article of the Week​
​Is it Possible to be Perfect?

Is it good or bad that the work needs to be completed in any way but perfectly? Perfectionists are those who constantly strive for their work to be perfect in every way. Any imperfection in their work is seen as a serious issue, and any small improvement that can be made is seen as urgently needing to be made. Their work is worthless to them if it isn't "Perfect".

Do you have a feeling that you are a perfectionist? Look through the signs and see if you relate with any or all of them.

Signs of a Perfectionist

1. Highly Critical of Themselves​
   ​Perfectionist are very critical of their mistakes and weaknesses, and will often keep thinking about the imperfections in themselves which overshadows their actual strengths and feats.​
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2. Fear of Failure​
   ​There is nothing worse than failure in the work for a perfectionist. The fear of failing is in everyone, but for them people it's the driving force for their work.​
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3. Defensive About Feedback​
   ​Getting feedback about your work means there are either flaws in the work or it has ways to improve. Because a less-than-perfect performance hurts and terrifies perfectionists so much, they frequently react defensively to helpful criticism.​
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4. Setting Unrealistic Standards​
   ​Perfectionists want to stop at achieving nothing but the best, so they put their initial goal in unrealistic standards in hope of achieving them. When these goals aren't met, the fear of failure comes back to hit them.​
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5. Procrastination​
   ​As contradictory as it may sound, perfectionists are big procrastinators. They may worry so much about doing something incorrectly that they become paralyzed and incapable of taking any action. This furthers a vicious and paralyzing cycle because it can cause greater feelings of failure as a result of the procrastination.​
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6. Low Self-Esteem​
   ​Compared to high achievers who have equally high self-esteem, perfectionists on the other hand have low self-esteem about themselves and are unconfident about their work.

How does imposter syndrome synergizes with perfectionism?

Imposter syndrome and perfectionism go hand in hand like bread and butter. The inability to meet their unreasonable expectations in their work feeds the person's doubts about their competence and abilities. This pushes them to work even harder in hopes of removing this feeling of being a fraud, which if they fail will push them to become too paralyzed to work properly. It is a vicious cycle that is difficult to get out of.

Now that we are aware of perfectionism and know the problem that comes with it, how can we work on taking better care of ourselves?

Working on overcoming your perfectionism

1. Set Achievable Goals for Yourself​
   Now that you are aware that you tend to go down the perfectionist route, try to set achievable goals for yourself when you sit down to write down your goals. Hitting these goals will boost your confidence.
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2. Avoid Procrastination​
   The more time you push doing your work due to fear of imperfection the more stressful it will be when the deadline comes closer. Try to avoid procrastinating and getting started on the work as soon as possible.
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3. Focus on the Positives​
   We tend to focus on the negative aspects of our work or ourselves when we want everything to be perfect. However, it is critical that we make efforts to recognize the good parts. Challenge yourself to identify three things you appreciate for every thing you're not completely satisfied with.
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4. Know That It's Okay to Make Mistakes​
   ​When we allow ourselves to make mistakes, we can see that failing is not the end of the world. Mistakes provide us with opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. You might discover that making mistakes is necessary to get to where you want to go.
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5. Go to Therapy​
   Never hesitate to talk to professionals for help. If you feel like you are not able to handle the pressure and your mental health is being affected, therapy might be able to help you get a grasp of your situation and work through it.

Action of the Week

Here is a list of actionable items for you to perform by this week's end:

1. Write down your upcoming assignments. See what you have to do, and keep them at manageable levels. For eg, if you are going to write an article, give yourself ample time to research and write down the best article you can.
2. To work on your procrastination, set a time limit for your assignments. Start working by adhering to that time.
3. Look at your past works and find the things that were good and you were satisfied by. Know that you are improving every day.

Do you have any questions? feel free to reply back to us. We are always ready to help.

See You Later!

Vineet from DASAR

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