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A while back I was telling
someone I admire about
something I was stuck on. She
said it was because I was a
perfectionist! As a life coach it
struck me to the core and not
in a good way. If you’ve been
called a perfectionist and
you’re not a brain surgeon,
this is for you!
I had been working on this
rather big project for a really
long time. It was good, but
I didn’t want to put it out
there until it was perfect. As
a result, it was taking a lot
longer than it needed to and
I wasn’t able to achieve the
results I wanted. When my
friend said it was because I
was being a perfectionist, the
coach in me perked up! So,
I dotted the last “i” crossed a
few t’s and got it out there.
The results were terrific!
I was reminded of the dangers
of perfectionism. You might
even think of it as a quality or
trait, but all it does is stress
you out and slow you down.
• It robs you of the joy
and
satisfaction
of
completing something;
of experiencing a job
well-done.
• It keeps your energy
all tied up in
almost
completed projects.
• It’s a fast track to frustra-
tion and unhappiness.
Over 20 years of research
Paul Hewitt, PhD, found that
perfectionism correlates with
depression, anxiety, eating
disorders and other mental
health problems.
So, if you have a tendency
to make modification after
modification saying “just one
more finishing touch”; if there
is something big you keep
putting off doing because
you’re just not quite ready, or
if you have some unfinished
projects weighing you down,
here’s a 3-step tip from a
coach who knows exactly
how you feel –
The Danger of
Perfectionism
By Joan Washburn
SOAR TO SUCCESS
/
M
ay
2016
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Personal Growth Strategies