Perfectionists can become high achievers by addressing their mindset, behaviors, and habits. My previous blog addressed the differences between perfectionists and healthy high achievers. Letting go of perfectionism doesn’t mean we will suddenly turn into sloths incapable of hard work, in fact it’s the total opposite, the more you turn the volume down on perfectionism which is ultimately harmful, the more you’ll get done and succeed.

Don’t waste life never feeling good enough to try, instead look at this list below, choose two things to work on at a time so you don’t become overwhelmed, and then choose another two.

• Progress over perfection: Focus on making consistent progress towards goals rather than seeking perfection in every aspect of your work.

• View failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than a personal flaw.

• Set realistic goals that are achievable and measurable. 

• Break down larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks.

• Be kinder to yourself and practice self-compassion. 

• Talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend except if you’re an arsehole to your friends, and treat yourself with kindness and empathy.

• Understand the value of feedback and criticism. Work on getting better at accepting criticism.

• Seek out feedback and use it to improve performance.

• Appreciate the value of collaboration and teamwork. 

• Seek out opportunities to work with others and build strong, supportive relationships.

• Develop a growth mindset.

• Manage emotions: Therapy or coaching to learn to manage emotions would be your highest value option but otherwise seek out apps and books to help you get started.

• Work on techniques for managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, such as deep breathing, meditation, or exercise.

By focusing on these strategies, you can shift your mindset and behaviors towards healthy high achievement, while still valuing excellence and quality in your life and work.

Most of my clients are high achievers or perfectionists and most are a big mix of the two. If you find yourself struggling with perfectionist traits and it is getting in the way of you being all you know you can be I’d recommend booking my Gold Standard Training and Nutrition Package. This is my high touch program helping you move from just okay to excellent in manageable steps using behavioral change science and applying the latest evidence informed training and nutrition to help you optimize and revitalize!