Perfectionism

‘Perfectionism can be born of a desire for other people not to criticise us, and to feel like we are good enough to do whatever we’re doing,’ Dr Trent explains. ‘But we have to remember that done is better than perfect but incomplete.’

I think of my tendency to hold onto tasks for a long time, scared to share my work, out of fear of being seen as inadequate. This can affect my confidence in my abilities, and ironically, can lead to me not doing by best work, which then feeds into this lack of self-confidence even more. Or it can stop me going for opportunities in the first place, worried I won’t be able to deliver the perfect result.

Perfectionism can lead to us procrastinating or struggling to get something done. If you think this may be what’s holding you back, Dr Trent says it can help to write a list where you ask yourself ‘Why can’t I do this now? Or why not yet?’

If you find that worries about not being good enough come up, it may be that perfectionism is affecting your self-confidence.

“Perfectionism can lead to us procrastinating or struggling to get something done”