How to overcome perfectionism in your business.
Posted on June 02, 2022 by Linsi Brownson, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.
“In the desire to do the right thing, we often do nothing.” — Linsi Brownson
Do you struggle with perfectionism in your business?
Many creative entrepreneurs do, partly because perfectionism is subtle. Most entrepreneurs don’t strive for “perfection” – they’re simply trying to do things “the right way.”
It’s a nuance but it’s so important to see!
Because “right” ness is something we were taught as a moral imperative. It’s how we validate ourselves, our work, even our worthiness. It’s a binary way of thinking because the opposite of right is…wrong!
We work too hard to be wrong. We don’t have time to be wrong. We don’t have the patience to be wrong. So instead we spend tons of time and energy trying to be right.
It shows up in our business as:
The right marketing strategy.
The right way to say no to something you don’t want to do.
The right time to start.
The right price to charge.
Even the right podcast episode or workout to get motivated for the day!
Whether it’s a big or small decision, when you think the words “right” or “best”, you can be sure that perfectionism is in play.
How to overcome perfectionism in your business:
1. Catch your perfectionist thoughts while you’re having them.
Notice when you are not taking action because you’re stuck in indecision. Check yourself when you are letting projects run way longer than you know they should take.
And then, notice how doing this is counterproductive to your greater goals.
For example, not working on your marketing because you don’t know which platform to choose…is preventing you from connecting with your ideal client. That’s the goal, right? I promise you can find them on any platform – any marketing is better than NO marketing!
2. Turn down the flame.
Perfectionsim slows you down. But you know what really holds you back in business?
Self-criticism.
Instead of beating yourself up when you identify your perfectionism tendencies, be curious about them. I like to laugh at my well-intended but misguided self. “Oh hey perfectionism, there you are again. I know you’re just trying to help but I’ve got it from here.”
The pause is all you need to break your pattern – berrating yourself for what you thought or did in the past (even 2 minutes) ago is never useful.
3. Remember that there is no right way.
There really is never a right or wrong answer. There are simply options and choices. If you choose something and don’t like it, you can choose something else. But the truth is that you can only truly know something in hindsight. You have to make a choice in order to find out.
The beauty of releasing yourself from the all-or-nothing mindset of perfectionism is that it will also give you the freedom to change your mind and make adjustments without judging yourself or wasting time in indecision.
Build a relationship with yourself that values your intuition and your ability to handle yourself in any situation. This is all you really need to move forward at this time.
4. Use your body as a compass.
I encourage you to play with changing the narrative of your perfectionist thoughts and seeing how it feels on your body. See if it feels freeing, see if it gives you a sense of kindness and self-compassion, see if it gives you permission to just choose something and go.
Remember that it is not always all or nothing, and that sometimes noticing these behaviors or changing your mindset will not always work, but that is ok! Play around with it and find the narrative that will free you from your perfectionist thoughts.
