The Peace and Happiness Adventure

As a holistic coach, I often come across clients who struggle with perfectionism. It’s a common issue that affects people from all walks of life, and it’s something that can be particularly challenging to overcome.

What is perfectionism, exactly? It’s the belief that everything has to be flawless, error-free, and without any faults. It’s the desire to achieve excellence in everything we do, and the fear of failure that comes with it.

Perfectionism is often associated with high-achievers, but it can also be a hindrance to success. The problem with perfectionism is that it can lead to a lot of stress, anxiety, and self-doubt. It can also prevent us from taking risks, trying new things, and making mistakes – all of which are essential for growth and development.

So, how can a holistic coach help someone overcome perfectionism? Here are a few strategies that I use with my clients:

1. Recognise the root of perfectionism

Perfectionism often stems from childhood experiences, such as pressure from parents or teachers to achieve high grades or perform well in sports. It’s essential to identify where the perfectionist tendencies come from so that we can understand them better and work on overcoming them.

2. Reframe mistakes as opportunities for growth. Perfectionists tend to view mistakes as failures and beat themselves up over them. As a holistic coach, I encourage my clients to reframe their mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning. By doing so, they can approach challenges with a growth mindset and learn from their mistakes.
3. Practice self-compassion – Perfectionists can be very hard on themselves, which can lead to negative self-talk and feelings of inadequacy. As a holistic coach, I teach my clients to practice self-compassion by treating themselves with kindness and understanding. By doing so, they can learn to be more forgiving of themselves and let go of the need for perfection.
4. Set realistic goals – Perfectionists often set unrealistic goals for themselves, which can lead to burnout and disappointment. As a holistic coach, I help my clients set realistic goals that challenge them but are also achievable. By doing so, they can feel a sense of accomplishment and build self-confidence.
5. Practice mindfulness – Mindfulness is an excellent tool for overcoming perfectionism. By practicing mindfulness, we can learn to be present in the moment and let go of the need for perfection. I teach my clients mindfulness techniques like meditation and deep breathing,

I’ve learnt that people trying to be too perfect often aren’t as relatable. People like vulnerability and the messiness of the real human soul.

I find we often compare the worst parts of ourselves to the best parts of others. The parts they choose to show to the world. Not the real them. Think perfect Instagram holiday pictures! We’re all guilty of it but it’s not the reality of day to day life.

Often when you do get to this ‘perceived’ perfect life, say you earn more money, you often then meet a new type of people that have higher standards still, and it all begins again. The comparison never really stops. Learning to be happy with who you are and where you are now and enjoying the journey is a really wonderful life-changing thing.

Remember…

People striving for perfection are often setting themselves up for failure, as NO ONE is perfect and even if they project that to the world it’s not real life.

Mistakes are better than staying stuck because we learn from them. People admire courage. We’re only human after all.

It can be helpful to be ok with disapproval. We live with this ideal that we want everybody to like us all the time and it’s not natural. We all have different opinions, we all have different preferences and personalities. We’re all different and life would be very boring if we weren’t!

If someone has a judgement or criticism about something it’s usually because they have their own issues or insecurities around that subject themselves.

Notice where you criticise because it’s often reflecting something inside of you. Do you sometimes hold others to the same ideals as you?

Perfectionism is a progress killer! Have you heard the saying – Imperfect action is better than Perfect inaction! It’s so so true and something I now live my life by!