How To Control Your Inner Perfectionist (and get more done in less time!)

If you’ve clicked to read this then I’m going to make the almighty assumption that YOU, like me, are a Perfectionist - welcome!

Perfectionism is a trait so many of us high-achievers face, let’s be honest.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the endless loop of trying to make something perfect before putting it out into the world, then keep reading.

I’m going to share how I’ve overcome my own perfectionism.

(ok, ok that’s not quite the perfectly truthful claim lets say, ‘‘managed to control it better, and not let it negatively impact me and hold me back’’….it’s not gone anywhere, and neither would I want it to!)

I’m going to share the key strategies that have helped to me get out of my own way to achieve what I want….my new way of being really helps the speed I can get things done at, and so gives me more time for ME and other things I love to do….

Who doesn’t want that….

So, one of the biggest wins for me in overcoming perfectionism is in redefining what ‘perfect’ actually is. 

I realised something simple but powerful: My 100% is most people's 150% or more. Meaning, when I’m striving for what I believe is perfection, I’m going above and beyond what most people even expect! So, instead of spending endless hours refining something to my 'perfect' version, I learned to ask myself, 'Is this 70-80% done in my eyes?' Because chances are, that’s already going to look perfect to others.

We can get caught up in the idea that everything has to be flawless, but honestly, the extra effort isn’t moving the needle most of the time. It’s more about getting the work done, getting it out there, and making the impact that truly matters.

Checking in with my why and my priorities

Here’s the next thing that really helped me: Checking in with my Why and my priorities. When I find myself getting too wrapped up in tweaking and adjusting, I stop and ask myself: Why am I doing this? What’s the bigger purpose behind this task or project? Then I challenge myself with a really powerful question: 

What do I want more right now? Do I want to keep playing with this task until it’s perfect, or do I want to get it into the hands of those who need it so I can move closer to my purpose and mission? 

Of course most of the time, no, all of the time, wasting time on perfecting is NOT the answer. The answer is nearly always ‘it’s good for now, keep moving forward’

And so this is one for you to try out if you’re finding you’re getting lost in the detail of striving for perfection, losing hours more than you know you should be.

For you it might be something like ‘’Do I keep perfecting here, or do I get this to my stakeholder so I can get home to the kids who are a big priority to me…?’’

Sitting on a task for too long, or worse still not doing it at all for fear of it not being good enough, is a fast track way to failing on your mission or purpose, your job responsibility and the things you value most in life.

This really pulls me out of the perfectionist mindset and refocuses me on what matters most to me —getting things done and making progress.

Challenging Perfectionism's Lies

And finally, a big one for me, and should be for you too, is getting curious and challenging why I’m aiming for perfection in the first place. Often, I found myself striving for perfection because, deep down, I was trying to prove that I or my work was good enough. 

I see the same with clients who receive feedback that isn’t as good as they’d hoped for, and I resonate too, even though I’m a whole lot better nowadays, my heart still skips a beat if I receive feedback that isn't what i’d like it to be…!

The feedback can send us into a turmoil of analysing what went wrong, major self-doubts, self-deprecating….yuk. 

So, I ask myself: If this isn't perfect, does it really mean that I’m not good enough? Does this piece of feedback mean that suddenly I'm fundamentally no good at my job?! 

Spoiler alert: The answer is almost always NO. Especially among high achievers.

It’s about challenging the meaning that we put on things. Because we often make it mean something that is simply not true, and instead we’re listening to a story we’re telling ourselves. 

It’s about breaking that link between your work being 'perfect' and your worth. Your value isn’t dependent on perfect output—it’s about the intention, the progress, maybe the impact you’re making.

So those are my three key ways of overcoming perfectionism. If you’ve been stuck trying to make something perfect, or losing sleep over some negative feedback,  I want you to try these strategies. Aim for your 70%, check in with your Why, and challenge those perfectionist thoughts when they come up.

Don’t worry, if you do all of these things, it still makes you just a PERFECT….!

To Your Success,

Laura