4 Tricks to Keep Perfectionism in Check on a Daily Basis

People who have never dealt with perfectionism might not think it's a terrible problem to 
have. After all, doesn't being a perfectionist make you more likely to be motivated and 
successful? On the contrary, perfectionism can make it hard to manage time and deal 
with everyday problems, as perfectionists often get hung trying to do even the least 
important tasks perfectly. Here are some tips to help you manage your perfectionism on 
a daily basis:

1. Prioritize

Perfectionists often spend far too much time trying to perform mundane tasks perfectly. 
One way to combat this is to prioritize your daily activities before you start working on 
any of them. List everything you need to do in order of importance, and try to tackle the 
most important tasks first--this way, if you're finding it hard to let yourself finish a task 
and move on, at least you'll be spending the extra time on something important. 

2. Take Mistakes in Stride

If you're a perfectionist, you know that when you make a mistake, it can feel crippling 
and derail your productivity for the rest of the day. Making mistakes, however, is the 
best way to learn, so it's important to learn to take your mistakes in stride. Next time you 
mess something up, force yourself to analyze what you did wrong and figure out how to 
avoid the mistake next time. 

For example, if you got a few questions wrong on a test, instead of worrying about the 
lower grade, figure out what you did wrong so you don't make the same mistake next 
time. It can be easy to get caught up on mistakes as a perfectionists, but try to remind 
yourself that by taking the time to learn from your mistakes, you can do things more 
'perfectly' in the future.

3. Take a Perspective Break

Next time you find yourself panicking over a small detail that isn't perfect, try to take a 
step back and give yourself a 'perspective break.' This refers to the simple process of 
asking yourself how important a task really is, a trick that can be surprisingly helpful for 
perfectionists. By forcing yourself to acknowledge whether whatever you're doing is 
important in the long run, you'll be able to recognize when you're obsessing over less 
important tasks and save time for working on the things that actually matter.

4. Get a Friend's Take

Another way to keep your tasks and problems in perspective is to ask a friend for their 
take on things. If you're convinced that your room just doesn't look right no matter how 
you arrange it, for example, asking a friend what they think can show you if something is 
actually off or if it's just your inner perfectionist speaking. For people who find it hard to 
give themselves a perspective check, asking someone you know and trust for their 
opinion can make it easier to realize when the detail you're stuck on simply isn't a big 
deal.

