Perfectionism

Every student wants to produce high-quality work. However problems

arise when that striving for excellence becomes a pursuit of perfection
and when fear of failure becomes the main motivator. Perfectionism is
mistakenly seen as desirable or even necessary for success quite often.

Perfectionists often feel that they are primarily valued for their
achievements. Their sense of self-worth is often based on external
standards and approval by others leaving them vulnerable and sensitive
to criticism. The results can become crippling: assignments get bogged
down in minor details. Perfectionism tends to lead to procrastination and
to a vague sense of uncertainty regarding project completion. The
challenge is to preserve a healthy strive for excellence without precluding
the possibility of success

The Vicious Cycle of Perfectionism

Perfectionistic attitudes set in motion a

vicious cycle.

Perfectionistic demands
• First, perfectionists set unreachable
goals.
• Second, they fail to meet these goals
because the goals were impossible to
loss of confidence Fear of failure begin with.
• Third, the constant pressure to achieve
perfection and the inevitable chronic
failure reduce productivity and
effectiveness.
• Fourth, this cycle leads perfectionists to
be self-critical and self-blaming which
Stress and
results in lower self-esteem. At this point
Procrastination
anxiety perfectionists may give up completely on
their goals and set different goals
thinking, “This time if only I try harder I
will succeed.” Such thinking sets the
Self-criticism
entire cycle in motion again.

http://counselingcenter.illinois.edu/brochures/per
fectionism

Getting past perfectionism

Perfectionism versus Healthy Striving

Perfectionism is not a healthy pursuit of excellence. There are major
differences between perfectionists and healthy strivers. Perfectionists
believe that mistakes must never be made and that the highest standards of
performance must always be achieved.
Those who strive for excellence in a healthy way take genuine pleasure in trying to meet high standards. Perfectionists on the other hand
are full of self-doubts and fears of disapproval, ridicule and rejection. The healthy striver has drive, while the perfectionist is driven.

Perfectionism Healthy Striving

Setting standards beyond reach and Set high standards that are achievable through
reason effort

Never being satisfied by anything less Focus more on process as well as outcome
than perfection

Becoming deeply depressed when facing View failure and disappointment as temporary
failure and disappointment setbacks.

Being preoccupied with fear of failure and Keeps normal anxiety and fear of failure and
disapproval to the point of paralysis disapproval within bounds – use them to create
energy

Seeing mistakes as evidence of failure See mistakes as opportunities for growth and
and unworthiness learning

What can I do about it?

The first step is to realise that perfectionism is neither attainable nor desirable. The next step is to challenge the self-defeating thoughts and
behaviours that fuel perfectionism.

• Realistic goals. Set realistic and achievable goals.

• Modest improvements. Set subsequent goals in a sequential manner. As you reach a goal, set your next goal one level beyond
your present level.

• Try aiming for less than 100%. Experiment with imperfection. The world does not end when you are not perfect.

• Focus on process. Focus on the process of doing an activity not just on the end result.

• Check your feelings. Use feelings of anxiety and low mood as opportunities to ask yourself, "Have I set up impossible expectations
for myself in this situation?"

• Face your fears. Confront the fears that may be behind your perfectionism by asking yourself, "What am I afraid of? What is the
worst thing that could happen?"

• Celebrate your mistakes. Recognise that many good things can only be learned by making mistakes.

• Discriminate. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Learn to discriminate the tasks you want to give high priority to from those tasks that are
less important to you.

Healthy striving
You should set goals based on your own wants and desires, not in response to external expectations. These should be just one step
beyond what you have already accomplished.

Goals should be realistic and potentially attainable. Take pleasure in the process of pursuing the task at hand rather than focusing only on
the end result. When you experience disapproval or failure, which we all do, try to learn from your disappointments and move forward
realistically.

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