Ditching perfection, ways to manage arthritis

Leadership specialist MICHELLE SALES explains how to let go of the mindset that’s holding you back!

Do you ever catch yourself saying things like, “This just isn’t good enough, I’ve got to try again,” or “I won’t apply for a promotion until I am really ready.” Do thoughts like, “Other people do that far better than me so I’ll just keep quiet” run through your head?

When you’re a perfectionist, you refuse to do things unless they are done just right. You’re unwilling to act unless what you do is guaranteed to win and to wow, absolutely without any chance of loss.

When your self-confidence is low, you hold yourself back, make limiting choices and give your power over to this kind of perfectionism – something we are all too familiar with.

THE PERFECT PERFORMANCE

While perfectionism happens regardless of your gender, cultural background or experience, study after study indicates that women are more prone to it.

We watch our male colleagues take more risks, while we hold back until we’re sure we are perfectly ready and perfectly qualified. We overthink our performance at home, at school, at work, at yoga class, and even on holiday. We obsess as mothers, wives, sisters, friends, cooks and athletes.

Confidence is built on you accepting yourself and your abilities, and on you having a go and learning along the way.

It is built on taking action and making progress, and feeling great about that, and not being afraid to fail.

If you give in to your perfectionism, then this may mean you never apply for that promotion, you never negotiate what you are really worth, you never put your hand up to sponsor that new project and, ultimately, you never really step up and reach your full potential. You will fail to act and act to fail.

To overcome perfectionism, and build confidence, you need to act! It’s only when you learn to let go and actually take action that you gain confidence, which breaks the cycle of perfectionism.

HERE’S HOW TO LEARN TO ACT NOW...