Letting Go of Perfectionism

Are you on an unobtainable quest for perfection?

Do you set extremely high standards for yourself that you'd never expect from your family or friends?

Do you struggle to acknowledge and be proud of your successes without a voice inside your head telling you that they aren't good enough?

Do you find yourself pulling away and isolating from friends because connecting with others reminds you of all the things you wish you could do, have, or be? 

Instead of taking risks and trying new things, do you find yourself paralyzed by the possibility of failure? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might be struggling with perfectionism. If you're on this unobtainable quest for perfection, one thing is for sure: You are missing out on so much. You are likely making moves and have many reasons to celebrate yourself but not giving yourself credit for any of it. Perfectionism is often disguised in our society as "driven" and "motivated," but when you navigate the world with unfair expectations for yourself, you will fall short every single time. Let's say that again:

When you navigate the world with unfair expectations for yourself,
you will fall short every single time.

The truth that you're struggling to tap into is that there is a way for you to strive to be the most badass and successful version of yourself without continuing this cycle of disappointment and shame. I would love to help you break this cycle, so that your emotional energy is no longer tied up into setting unrealistic goals and then beating yourself up when you don't achieve them (because let's be real, no human could!).

Evidence-based interventions that I often utilize in my work with clients experiencing perfectionism.

• Changing All-or-Nothing (or Black and White) Thinking using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • What is CBT?

  • Black and White Thinking

• Self-Compassion Practice

  • The 3 Elements to Self-Compassion

Additional Resources

• Learn to Deal with Perfectionism (The University of Sydney, 2011)

• Perfectionism: Strategies for Change (Harvard University, 2014)

• Changing Perfectionism (Centre for Clinical Interventions, 2009)

My favorite books to help you challenge perfectionism.