An Open Letter to the Perfectionist in me
Dear the perfectionist in me,
First things first, I would like to say that am proud of you for being who you are and coming this far. Life has thrown many obstacles your way, but in the midst all the stress, anxiety and unclarity, you have you managed to wipe the tears away, power through and stay true to yourself. On top of all that, I know that being a perfectionist does not make it easier and from time to time, it has made it challenging to do all the things you love.
Let’s be honest, you push yourself to do better and be better because you care about the people around you and what you do each day. You want to do your work, paint, read, exercise, socialize with friends and many other activities, all to the best of your ability and to highest of standards.
But let me ask you this:
Have you ever had a moment where you hear all the chaos mumbling in your head; making it impossible for you to think straight?
If the answer is yes, then that’s your mind and body giving you a push back, telling you to slow down, and that you might be doing too many things all at once! This feeling is not a comfortable feeling. So when you feel that way, what I want you to do is:
- Pick up a notebook, and write down all that is on your mind — (it can be anything from personal, professional, hobby,…). By just making a bullet list of all that is on your mind, you will get a visual overview of what is going on in your head.
- Look at your list and and circle out the points that is a task; something you need to do (and maybe you have been pushing for a while). Try to split them into three sections: tasks you can do in a 5 minutes, tasks that need 2–3 hours, tasks that depend on other tasks/people and could take days/months. By doing this, you will have a clear overview of what can be done now because you have full control over it, and what can be done in a month (no complete control over it).
- Look at your calendar and start planning your next day accordingly. Start by including items from your list based on how much time you have available and their dependency. This will help you transferring the tasks from your list to your calendar.
Following the three steps above, ensures that you cross-off at least 2 items from your list each day, giving you the sense of accomplishment each day, clearing your mind, and creating a self discipline that is needed for a perfectionist like yourself.
Let’s be honest, being a perfectionist feels like both a blessing and a curse. If you treat it as your own superpower, I believe that you can achieve all you want in life. BUT that could only happen if you have: discipline, clear goals set for each task, and be patient and kind with yourself. I know that the last one is a tricky one, but by being kind and believing in yourself and giving yourself the needed space to fail, learn and grow, you can use your superpower to your advantage.
With much love,
Mahsa
I hope that you enjoyed this blog and it helped you in your journey. I write a blog on a monthly basis and publish them on the first Friday of the month. These blogs are about my experiences along with tips and tricks as an artist and human being. If my blogs interest you, please consider Buying me a Coffee. This way, I can continue to provide you with more content every month! Thank you for supporting my passion.
