If you\u2019re willing to pause and realize you can fully enjoy who you are and what you do, here\u2019s the<\/em> perfect<\/em> moment of breakthrough for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfectionism is the concern of striving for an ideal that includes anything from work, relationships, environment, appearance, behavior, and feelings. It\u2019s rejecting anything that doesn\u2019t match the standard of what you think<\/em> you should be like or what you should be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the American Psychological Association<\/a>, perfectionism is defined as \u201cthe tendency to demand of others or of oneself an extremely high or even flawless level of performance, in excess of what is required by the situation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A great example to depict the character of a perfectionist is Nina Sayers from Black Swan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to psychiatrist Alfred Adler, who first talked about perfectionism from a psychological point of view, the main cause of it would be the human superiority complex<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his theory, every human being has a part in their psyche that feels inferior. Therefore, a superiority complex is developed to compensate for what one feels is lacking. In Adler\u2019s words, people who are struggling with perfectionism are \u201cperpetually comparing themselves with the unattainable ideal of perfection, and they are always possessed and spurred on by a sense of inferiority.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Following his work, other studies<\/a> have found that perfectionism can be the result of a childhood experience where people in your environment had extremely high expectations of you or made you feel like whatever you were doing could never be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, perfectionism is a good old coping mechanism that your psyche creates as a form of protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, it\u2019s a trait of one\u2019s character. However, it can be more common for people with an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Think of the extremes Nina went to in order to prove how perfect she can be as the Black Swan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oftentimes, perfectionism is also associated with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if it\u2019s not clinically diagnosed as a mental illness, studies<\/a> have found that it increased dramatically among young people from 1980 to the present day. However, the great news is that learning how to overcome perfectionism is not only possible, but once you do it, your life will shift significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe pursuit of perfection is often the catalyst behind our disappointment and discontent whenever we face unmet expectations,\u201d <\/em>says Kristina M\u00e4nd-Lakhiani<\/strong>, co-founder of Mindvalley and trainer of 7 Days to Happiness <\/em>Quest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about a happy moment in your life. Maybe you were watching a golden sunset on a quiet beach, feeling the breeze and the soft sand beneath your feet. If the water were a little less vibrant or if the waves were a little bit more silent, would the moment still be beautiful?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Probably yes. That\u2019s what happens in your life as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re striving for perfection, but in reality, less than what you consider to be ideal can still be beautiful, miraculous, and mesmerizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world doesn\u2019t need your perfection, it needs your imperfection. <\/p>\n\u2014 Kristina M\u00e4nd-Lakhiani, co-founder of Mindvalley and trainer of 7 Days to Happiness<\/em> Quest<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As a self-proclaimed \u201crecovering perfectionist\u201d herself, Kristina encourages you to try out a mind-shifting practice that will help transform your thinking: allowing yourself not to be perfect<\/strong> just for one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you catch yourself desiring to be the absolute best at anything and everything \u2014 the absolute best at the work assignment, or the absolute best at that date tonight, stop for a moment. Remind yourself that, at least for today, you don\u2019t have to be perfect. And maybe it gives you so much peace that you\u2019ll try tomorrow as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat sucks, now what?\u201d <\/em>asked Dr.<\/strong> Neeta Bhushhan<\/strong>, performance coach and bestselling author, at Mindvalley\u2019s Supercoach Event 2022 <\/em>in Tallinn, Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One big lesson to learn on how to overcome perfectionism is what to do when life happens, and how to normalize and grow from the sucky moments that you go through. The thing that most people start doing is trying to be perfect, so they won\u2019t \u201csuck\u201d anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you can never learn from being perfect. But what you can do to learn is build the audacious resiliency to increase, what Dr. Neeta Bhushan calls, your bounce factor<\/strong> (how fast you can recover from a sucky moment).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you be comfortable with being uncomfortable?<\/p>\n\u2014 Dr. Neeta Bhushan, performance coach and bestselling author of Emotional Grit<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Dr. Neeta Bhushan recommends an embodiment practice on how to overcome perfectionism and anxiety. This will build up your bounce factor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can repeat this practice as many times as you want, working through all the sucky moments you\u2019ve experienced. Or the ones that hurt you the most and made you want to be perfect. You\u2019ll learn that you don\u2019t have to strive for perfection; you just have to grow and move forward with each one of these moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Mindvalley\u2019s Course Pro<\/em> Quest, Jimmy Naraine <\/strong>emphasizes the idea that putting pressure on yourself to do things perfectly leads to procrastination<\/a>. When you never feel like it\u2019s the right time, you don\u2019t take the necessary steps towards your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is when perfectionism is sabotaging you. You set yourself huge goals, but you actually never feel ready or good enough to work for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to how to overcome perfectionism and procrastination, Jimmy advises to always start small, but start and be consistent<\/strong>. It\u2019s easier to have huge expectations of yourself but not take any action, thinking you are not good enough now.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s nice to say to yourself that \u2018one day I will do this, one day I will do that.\u2019 And it\u2019s nice to lie to yourself that there is a chance, and there is hope that you will do it if you don\u2019t start now.<\/p>\n\u2014 Jimmy Naraine, trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s Course Pro<\/em> Quest<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n You will handle your own insecurities by starting small, but starting at this moment. And taking a step each day toward your biggest dreams will help you learn, grow, and become even more capable of achieving them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This the knowledge and tools you gain from taking small actions, you can ultimately get closer to your massive expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marisa Peer<\/strong>, renowned psychotherapist and trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy for Abundance<\/em> Quest, teaches the power of knowing that you are enough<\/strong> in this very moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing that you are enough doesn\u2019t make you do less, but it makes you recognize that you\u2019re worth more.<\/p>\n\u2014 Marisa Peer, trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy for Abundance<\/em> Quest<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Truly believing in your enoughness will support your journey on how to overcome perfectionism, especially when it comes to your relationships. Because what connects us to people is our vulnerability. People who are trying to be perfect are often alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why? When you\u2019re trying to be perfect, you don\u2019t show up authentically. It\u2019s like building a thick wall between you and the person you want to connect with. Think about someone who loves you; wouldn\u2019t it hurt if they didn\u2019t know who you truly are?<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Marisa, you should stop trying to convince the world that you are perfect, that you are enough. You can start by convincing yourself. And once you do that, you won\u2019t even need someone else to tell you this, but you will probably attract them anyhow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens is that, most often, you\u2019re waiting for someone to make you feel loved, so you try to show up as the perfect person. But then, even if you meet a partner that will tell you all the things you thought you wanted to hear, you might not believe them in the end. Because imposter syndrome<\/a> kicks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tell your mind as often as you can that you are enough, and it will follow. Then you\u2019ll realize that people like other people who are real, not perfect. As Marisa beautifully puts it, \u201cI’m flawed, you\u2019re flawed. There goes a flawed person having a flawed relationship with another flawed person.<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have to achieve perfection to be loved. You can just start with yourself. And the fastest way to love yourself is starting now.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is perfectionism?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What causes perfectionism?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is perfectionism a disorder?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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1. Embrace your imperfections | Kristina M\u00e4nd-Lakhiani<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Try this today <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Kristina](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2022\/09\/4a2a2a7e-how-to-overcome-perfectionism-kristina-mvu-karen-harms-1.jpg\")
2. Use the power of the sucky moments | Dr. Neeta Bhushan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Try this today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2022\/09\/c3cb0644-how-to-overcome-perfectionism-dr.-neeta-bhushan-supercoach-1.jpg\")
3. Start small but start | Jimmy Naraine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Try this today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Jimmy](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2022\/09\/0099cac1-how-to-overcome-perfectionism-jimmy-naraine-mvu-karen-harms-1.jpg\")
4. Believe in the power of “I am enough” | Marisa Peer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Try this today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Marisa](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2022\/09\/6b214226-how-to-overcome-perfectionism-marisa-peer-mvu-karen-harms-1.jpg\")
5. Leave room for the authentic you | Petra Kolber<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Petra](\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2022\/09\/fe261143-how-to-overcome-perfectionsim-petra-kolber-mindvalley-podcast-1-1.jpg\")