Tips for Letting Go of Perfectionism

When building a profitable practice, perfection is a roadblock to progress. We must understand how we can let go of our need for perfection so that we can move to our highest level. Are you a perfectionist or an overachiever? Most physicians are. The difference may surprise you. Overachievers aim high and hit their mark. They succeed because they are motivated to do their best in everything they want to achieve, but fear of failure stops them. It paralyzes them and diminishes their self-esteem.

Does that sound like you?

I know at one point, this was me. Until I was able to let go of my need for perfection, I wasn’t able to make the leap to build a profitable practice.

There is nothing wrong with aiming for perfection. However, it can hold you back more than you realize. It’s possible to let go of your need for perfectionism and see yourself in the achiever category. I was able to do that by figuring out how to kiss perfectionism goodbye. I started by refusing to let my need for protection and perfection hamper my happiness and success.

Here’s some of the tips that I used to get started with that process:

1. Admit you’re a perfectionist. Pay attention to your thoughts and tendencies. Look for patterns that indicate your perfectionist ways. Consider the self-talk you use. Starting here gives you an edge on overcoming your preferences.

2. Look for the positives. It’s easy to fixate on the negatives when nothing is perfect. It won’t be easy to focus on positive self-talk, but it will take you miles down the path to your goals.

3. Remember that you will make mistakes. Allow yourself to make mistakes. You will learn a lot as a result. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow as a person. Enjoy the process and accept the mistakes as part of it.

4. Reconsider your goals. You probably set your goals too high, using impossible standards. In essence, you set yourself up for failure. Reduce your stress and increase your chance of success by setting realistic goals.

5. Learn how to receive feedback. Perfectionists generally don’t like to receive feedback because they suffer from low self-esteem. You learn to do better when receiving constructive feedback and not taking it personally.

6. Lower your standards. You don’t need to go to the far extreme and have no standards. But it’s helpful to reduce the pressure on yourself by lowering your expectations a tad.

7. Stop procrastinating. As a perfectionist, you are probably a procrastinator. Instead of giving yourself an excuse to slack off and stress yourself more, learn to work ahead and be proactive. It will provide you with more time to complete tasks to the best standards possible.

It’s okay to give yourself full permission to no longer be perfect. Letting go of your perfectionism reduces your stress and opens up your ability to grow and learn new things to achieve your dreams. You will thank yourself later.

I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/contractnegotiations to pick up the free guide to help you negotiate the contract of your dreams.

Did you know that perfectionism is a typical avoidance behavior? Check out our blog post here for four more types of these behaviors.

Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com