How a Recovering Perfectionist Finds Life Balance

I call myself a “recovering perfectionist” because I am consciously reducing my perfectionist tendencies.

Being a perfectionist put extreme stress upon my life. I had to have a perfectly clean home if anyone visited, I had to create a gourmet meal. It was worse at work! I worked extra hours to get to a “perfect” solution.

I’ve discovered that by easing my perfectionist standards, I have lowered my stress levels and given myself time to work on creative concepts.

Perfectionism is a difficult habit to maintain as life and work get busier and more complicated. It can cause burnout and health issues.

Here’s some things that I’ve done to find life balance:

• Be satisfied with the 80% solution. This was difficult for me to accept but it gets easier!

• Get feedback from others if my perfectionism is starting to raise its ugly head

• Unplug from the computer and telephone so that I can use my time more effectively

• Exercise. Although it takes time, it lowers my stress levels.

• Plan. I plan my year and each day so that I get important projects done without rushing. Decide where to spend your time in advance!

• Focus on what’s important. My family are more important that my job! Sometimes I need to remind myself of that when I “get into” a project.

• Say “no” to things. I used to blog every week, I decided to change my thinking on how often to blog. Now I blog about monthly. And I’ve given myself permission to miss the occasional month!

• Say “yes” to things that add value & joy to life & work.

• Set realistic expectations of yourself & others. If my expectations are that I can design a complete workshop in one day, I might need to realize that there’s more work & research than could possibly be done in one day. And although I still want my workshops & webinars to be professional, I don’t expect them to be perfect anymore.

• Schedule breaks throughout the day. This increased productivity and lowers stress.

• Turn off email. Instead of answering every email that comes in when it arrives, I respond to emails in batches.

My life may not be perfect, but I have better balance than I had before. I think it's a moving target, I get a little closer each year! It isn't easy, but the benefits far out weigh the effort!

Are you a perfectionist? Let’s talk! Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com