First, let’s identify what perfectionism is and why it is so important not to be influenced by it.

Am I a perfectionist? To answer this question let’s have a look at the signs of perfectionism:

Constantly comparing oneself to others.
Exaggerated level of expectations and high requirements for oneself.
Perception of others as demanding and judgmental.
High standards of performance.
A fixation on one's own failures and mistakes.

If you recognize yourself in the previous points, you are most likely a perfectionist. Some people may have a wrong impression of perfectionism: “I am trying to do my job perfectly, right? Isn’t it something to be proud of?”. Unfortunately, this is not absolutely true, due to the fact that in the workplace, perfectionism can lead to severe stress and seriously affect emotional well-being. Perfectionists hold themselves to unrealistic and often unattainable standards of perfection in everything they do. They are rarely satisfied with their work and often feel that everything could have been done better.

But you shouldn’t feel tied and desperate, below you will find some recommendations to encourage you to overcome perfectionism.

1. Admit that perfectionism is getting in your way.

In the present circumstances it's important to realize that by giving all of yourself to one thing, you forget about other areas that require your attention. Therefore, perfectionists sometimes just don't do the necessary things or do them too late, and that keeps them from succeeding. If you lowered the bar right away, it would be different.

2. Put deadlines

A perfectionist will work on a task until he gets the "ideal" result, no matter how long it takes. That's why you should set deadlines. Allocate a certain amount of time to each task (better if it's half as long as usual) and track your speed to meet the deadline.

3. Analyze your inputs and benefits.

If you find yourself taking too long to complete a task, ask yourself the following self-reflection questions:

How does this behavior help me?
Is this behavior hurting me?
What are the short-term consequences of not doing this task?
What are the long-term consequences?

Take the time to objectively evaluate yourself, your behavior, and the impact it has on your life.

4. Learn to show your weakness.

This strategy goes against the philosophy of most perfectionists. But you can guarantee that if you try it, it will lead to astonishing results.

At particularly difficult times in life, when perfectionism is poisoning your life, it is quite alright:

- To cry.

- Spend the day completely free from thinking about work.

- Allow yourself to not get work done and feel normal.

Of course, this is only useful once in a while. Just give yourself the occasional break, but not for long. You need to recharge, make the right conclusions, and get back to work.

Imposter Syndrome

We have learned what perfectionism is, and how we can overcome it, but there is another big obstacle ahead of us, imposter syndrome.

What is imposter syndrome?

It is a person's belief that he does not deserve to succeed. It is also the feeling that he is not clever enough, creative enough, or talented enough. The person just happened to be in the right place at the right time and was lucky enough to get what others have been striving for years. All this is accompanied by a fear that one day the "truth" will come out and everyone around him will realize that he is an impostor.

Identifying impostor syndrome in yourself is difficult enough. Here are some of the signs that can be "red flags":

Thoughts of "I'm not worthy" and "I don't deserve this"

Worries that you won't be able to live up to the expectations of others
Focusing on your mistakes rather than your accomplishments
Extreme perfectionism
Thoughts that your job is easy and everyone can do it.
Thinking that your abilities are average and unremarkable.
Believing that you cannot repeat your success because you just got lucky that time.

Overcoming the syndrome

1. Be aware of how you feel and why.

Start keeping a journal in which you write down all the occasions when you feel insecure and your self-esteem is at zero. Be as specific as possible - the very description of the event can make it clear that the problem as such does not exist. Also, write down what progress you've made and why.

P.S. Remember, feelings and sensations are not reality, but only its interpretation, which in many cases has very significant differences. Beware of automatic thoughts.

2. Realize your strengths and weaknesses.

Develop self-confidence by becoming more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Then you will no longer have to worry about whether you are qualified for the task.

3. Acknowledge your own successes.

When everything is going well, people with impostor syndrome attribute their success to external factors and luck. But when things go wrong, they blame themselves, even though by their logic they should be blaming external circumstances.

Take responsibility for your achievements. When you achieve a goal or success, recognize that you showed ability and applied your skills to make it happen. Good luck!

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