Perfectionism?

Question

Am I suffering from it? If so, how do I overcome it?

I feel like I'm a perfectionist and it's getting on me nerves. Sure, it's nice to hand in neat and tidy projects, but it's holding me back. It takes me forever to even get itty bitty homework assignments done that perhaps require drawing. The other day, I had to do 5 simple drawings. It took me about 6-8 hours to complete on index cards while others took 30 minutes, hour max. My parents tell me to try and stop being so perfect on projects, but I can't really help it. Folding a piece of paper in half may take me a minute since I must perfectly crease it down the middle or it will bother me. In group projects, I unintentionally take over and it's like my way or the highway. I have a messy room and I would want to organize everything but I can't handle it, so it ends up being in a huge mess rather than organized (it'd have to be organized perfectly and just how I want it, otherwise I won't organize it at all, like a lost cause).

To answer the Goddess Angel, I am being entirely serious. I actually never realized I might have been suffering from perfectionism but I'm also hoping that as I grow up, it will perhaps get better. As for the moment, it seems fairly difficult to control and to not make things perfect.

Answer 1

Identify and acknowledge your symptoms of perfectionism.

Write down the personal advantages and disadvantages of attempting to be perfect.

Give yourself credit for the small accomplishments you make everyday.

Identify past mistakes and failures and note that you usually overcame them and moved forward anyway.

Intentionally aim at being more accepting of your strengths and weaknesses and your accomplishments and failures.

Give yourself permission to make mistakes.

Talk with a counselor about your perfectionism.

OR

If you are a perfectionist there a few stages you will have to go through in order to change. First, you need to understand exactly what the perfectionist mentality is. You then need to understand the problems with the perfectionist’s way of thinking. Then you need to believe that the high achiever mentality is better, and you won’t lose anything by obtaining it. Finally, you need to change your thought habits so that you start to think with the high achiever mentality.

Hopefully, by reading this article, you should understand the problems with the perfectionist mentality. Now you have to take it on as a belief.

One of the best ways I’ve found to challenge your modes-of-thinking is by journaling. Grab a note pad and pen and note down specific situations where you had a perfectionist’s reaction.

Write down the problems that reacting in this way has caused. Go through my list of disadvantages and ask yourself if any of them occurred. Also list the advantages you received from thinking with a perfectionist attitude.

Follow it up by writing about your ideal way of reacting. How can you keep all the benefits, and get rid of the disadvantages?

For example, when I first started investigating ways of improving my memory I wanted to improve the techniques I found in the books. I spent so long trying to come up with the perfect technique that I never actually practiced the skills. There was really no need for this. I eventually realised that I could gain the benefits from the existing techniques and then work on improving them later.

Set yourself small goals to achieve every day. Make the goals things that should take you less than an hour to do. When you finish, ask yourself what the most important thing for you to do next is. It may be to take the next step with what you were already doing. But it may be something completely different. After a hard day’s work, the most important thing may even be to take a break. Through experience you will gradually learn what the most important things are. What one activity will bring the biggest reward? Or what will bring problems if you don’t do it?


take Example : America want to be so perfect..so Because of this , Iraq , more than 300.000 people died from this..

No one can be 100% perfect..

Answer 2

You may have OCD but the funny thing of everything you have said is that you leave your room messy. A perfectionist would certainly never do that. I am a perfectionist and I know that almost all of my life I did it to be accepted. I thought if people stopped over and seen that everything was neat and tidy they would somehow like me . I still have the same tendencies but my life has changed for the better and I am happier. Hey I even go to school and I am in my forties...sometimes I feel very "stupid" but I give myself credit all the time....and have a boyfriend and work and have friends and I go out at least 4 times a week. I seem to not let everything get to me like I did when I was so unhappy. Maybe something is making u unhappy too. Think about talking with someone a close friend , relative and yes, even a counselor like they say it's not what your eating it's what's eating you!

Answer 3

Perfectionism is an OCD, not a wonderful personality attribute.
People sometimes ask me if I’m a perfectionist. Hell to the no! I must say that I have impeccable
organizational skills, but that’s what keeps me so together and able to manage a unusual and busy
lifestyle. But as far as perfectionism, that is something I do not strive for.
I know what a prison for the mind that can be, I know many people that are. That used to be the thing to
say in a job interview. When asked the million-dollar question in a job interview: What is one of your
negative what one would say was, I’m a perfectionist and I like to do things

Answer 4

Don't take this wrong but you should see a professional for this. You don't want to drift into the whole OCD thing. (obsessive-compulsive disorder). There's nothing wrong with wanting to do things well but sounds like you're engaging in overkill here. Relax...go see a psychologist.

Answer 5

God gave us all different types of personalities and that's yours.You will probably marry someone completely differrent and they will help balance you out.We all have things about our personality that we need to work on,though.

Answer 6

I don't know if you are being real. From whati s written you are obessessing to a very high degree and that is not good. Seek professional assistance.