Perfectionism - how you can let go of the pressure to perform

The top performers in a company in particular place high demands on their own work. Ultimately, it is this performance that has helped them to reach the top. There is a fine line between healthy perfectionism and a drive to perform that makes you ill. Managers fall into the perfectionism trap when they fail not because of their tasks, but because of the demands they place on themselves. In the following article, we have summarized how you can get rid of an overstretched perfectionism and learn to receive praise and recognition even for less performance.

When perfectionism has a negative impact on you and your work

Basically, perfectionism is a positive quality. It is an expression of the fact that you are not satisfied with mediocrity, but strive for very good work results, realize your potential and develop your skills further. However, this aspiration can turn into a weakness. Are you afraid of making mistakes, can't leave work undone and prefer to complete jobs yourself before someone else does something wrong? Then this attitude is causing you stress at the expense of your health. The productivity and efficiency of your work also suffer considerably from unhealthy perfectionism. Instead of the desired quality, you will only achieve mediocrity due to the constant excessive demands and therefore only criticism instead of praise. The perfectionism trap has snapped shut.

These tips will help you to permanently let go of the pressure to perform

Excessive perfectionism increasingly leads to a loss of control over your own tasks. The following 7 tips will help you find a way out of this perfectionism trap.

1. Set clear goals
   What is important to you in a task and what goal should be achieved? Not every task requires the highest quality. Set yourself a central goal that must be achieved for each upcoming task. This creates a framework for your tasks.
2. Set deadlines
   Perfectionists often have the problem that they lose track of time in the pursuit of uncompromising quality. As a result, many tasks that could have been completed long ago are left undone. By setting yourself a clear time frame for your tasks, you force yourself to focus on the essentials.
3. Create structure
   There are tasks that you absolutely have to do yourself and others that your employees can easily take on. Organize your desk, delegate what others can do and create a structure in your working day. This will help you keep track of what needs to be completed and how much time you have left for each task.
4. Keep it short and simple
   Managers tend to get lost in complex structures and make things more complicated than they actually are. By approaching every task according to the KISS principle, you save time and energy.
5. Accepting the strengths of others
   In a well-organized team, every member is a top performer. You are perfect in your core area - in leading your team, assigning tasks to the right people and keeping an overview. Instead of being perfect everywhere yourself, use and accept the strengths of others.

We are happy to provide you with individual coaching sessions to help you overcome unhealthy perfectionism so that you can enjoy your day-to-day work with more joy and efficiency again.