Tip 1: Know yourself
"Know thyself" was the text above the entrance to the temple where the Greeks consulted the Oracle of Delphi. According to the old accounts, most pilgrims overlooked this advice. It was often smarter advice than what the temple priestess gave them. When it comes to perfection, be aware of your perfectionism and reflect on it. Try to find out how, why and when it occurs. Do you exhaust yourself because you want to do everything perfectly? Or are you not starting important tasks for fear of not doing them well enough? Thinking about this can help you spot counterproductive behaviour in yourself more quickly and take action.
Tip 2: Inform colleagues
If you know that you sometimes suffer from perfectionist behaviour, it's wise to discuss this with your team members and manager. They may help you deal with perfectionism.
Tip 3: Dealing wisely with mistakes
It's too easy to just say "accept mistakes". That can be a license not to take the work seriously at all. What can be done, and what you can also apply more easily, is to accept mistakes, learn from them, and then correct them where possible. Adjust the course: instead of thinking 'wrong = failure', think: 'a mistake is an opportunity to learn and improve'.
Tip 4: Make agreements within the team
The culture in an organisation can further fuel perfectionism. In line with tips 2 and 3, it's smart to make team agreements. For example, how do you deal with mistakes? And how do you handle busy periods? By talking to each other about this, the breeding ground for perfectionism can be removed.
Tip 5: Put things into perspective
As mentioned earlier, perfectionism has a lot to do with the fear of making mistakes. But how bad is making a mistake, really? When you find yourself reviving perfectionism, it's smart to remember that your work doesn't define your identity. Work is important, but not the most important thing. By putting the importance of a job into perspective in this way, you can work more freely.
Tip 6: Work on yourself
Anyone who is a true perfectionist could use a little more than these tips. That is why the last tip is 'work on yourself'. This can be done personally by reading related books or having good conversations with friends, but also with a coach, in training sessions or even with a psychologist. Perhaps there is an unconscious traumatic experience underlying the fear of making mistakes. Professional help is a good option in that case.
