What are Perfectionists Afraid of?

A perfectionist walked into a bar ... apparently, the bar wasn’t set high enough! Thanks to whomever created that joke!

Are you setting the bar so high for yourself that you are getting stuck? Are you finding it difficult to move forward? What are perfectionists afraid of? While perfectionism may claim to be based on high standards, when those high standards hold you back from producing results, perfectionism slows you down. It doesn't help your progress. Perfectionism is counter-productive.

What are perfectionists afraid of?

Being a perfectionist can come from of a number of fears. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment and not wanting to feel vulnerable can all play a role.

When you expect yourself to measure up to standards that are so high that they are not practical, you cheat yourself from growth opportunities. You stop yourself from sharing yourself with the world. How do you resolve this? A shift in your focus can help you manage the scary reality of ‘putting yourself out there’.

Turn your focus from inwards to outwards.

If you focus on how your imperfections may reflect on you, you’re placing unnecessary attention on yourself. By switching your focus to others, you are more open to feedback from others. You can use that feedback to improve what you’re working on. You’re more likely to create something relevant to others when you’re open to learning along the way.

“I'd rather live my life knowing that I'm not perfect than spend my whole life pretending to be.” – Will Smith

It takes courage to be open to sharing yourself with the world knowing that you’re not perfect. Instead of struggling to achieve perfection, show your current self to the world as you are today. Know that you will always continue to learn and grow. By letting go of perfection, you’ll create results sooner and have more time to sit back and reward your brave efforts. To show up with your imperfections is perfectly human.