I remember starting a new planner system and it would work for 2 days or 2 weeks and then I would fall off the wagon because I missed filling out a tiny section or my pre-planned schedule changed in the middle of the week. Guilt and shame took over and I stopped using my new planner or system. Sounds silly right? But that was me. You ever do that too? We’re gonna talk about a few tips to shift your perspective so you can overcome perfectionism, sound good?
Perfection Paralysis.
The idea that everything needs to be perfect adds so much unneeded pressure to your life. And stress significantly decreases productivity. So go ahead and remove perfection from your vocabulary. Often the biggest obstacle we have with perfectionism is shifting our perspective. One thing that really helps me is the mantra “Practice Makes Excellence”. Not only does it replace the word “perfect” from the popular saying, but it is a reminder that we all have to start somewhere and it is okay to mess up because we learn from that and move forward. If you’re not making mistakes you are allowing fear to take over and diminish your potential.
Overcome perfectionism by allowing for flexibility.
Think of a tree or a bridge. They are stronger because they move and are flexible. Trees and bridges sway in the wind. It seems counterintuitive but the fact that it is flexible is actually what makes it stronger. If it was rigid and couldn’t bend, more stress would be added to the structure, and it would break. It is okay for your schedule to change and be flexible. So long as you are clear on your values and priorities and keep moving forward. Who cares what order you do things in. It doesn’t matter if you miss a checkbox one day. Evaluate how you can improve for the next time and move on.
Remember, you’re not perfect, you’re awesome.
You’re not going to overcome perfectionism overnight, but if you implement even one of the perspective shifts above you will be on your way to making lasting change. Allow yourself to be flexible and give yourself some grace when implementing new systems or trying new things. You will be surprised how much farther you get when you remember to stop clenching that dime between your butt cheeks. Loosen up – take it from a former butt clencher – it works!
Did you find this useful? Don’t keep it a secret. I would love it if you would share it with a friend, colleague or loved one. It is the biggest compliment you can give me.
I definitely have gotten stressed over making a “mistake” in my planner too!
I’m glad I’m not alone in this. What has worked for you to overcome the stress from feeling like you messed up your planner?
I try to wait patiently for the next week but that doesn’t always work!
Yeah, I know how you feel. Somethings that helped me ease into not worrying about making a mistake on my planner:
(1) I started writing in pencil, especially if the date was tentative
(2) I wrote “I’m not perfect, I’m awesome” at the top of each week and month in my planner.
Eventually, I got a little more comfortable with making mistakes in pen – because my goal was to be flexible like a tree or bridge.
I have heard of other people covering mistakes with pretty stickers or their favorite style washi tape. Whatever works for you, there is no wrong answer.