Let Go of Perfectionism and Make Mistakes

Do you often try to take everything on at once, knowing full well it will be impossible to give each task your full attention? One of the biggest factors that deters us from power is perfectionism, because trying to be perfect stifles our creativity and our growth. Some of us may be “perfectionistic” about our performance stemming from standards others set for us, fearing that we may not be able to measure up to them. There are those of us who feel we have to be twice as good as our male counterparts to get ahead (and often this is true), and this pressure can create perfectionism. 

However, living this way doesn’t allow us to view making mistakes as a part of our growth process. And when we do make mistakes – which we are bound to – we may become defensive and interrupt our own advancement. 

Our mistakes can be a great source of power if we learn from them and move on. Mastery of a new skill or achievement involves accepting that you will make mistakes. Margaret Maruschak, former vice president of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, knows this to be true. She told me over dinner, “In my thirties, I resolved to make new mistakes and not to repeat old ones.” I like her attitude. 

Being able to let go of perfectionism was empowering for me, too. When I started to write professionally, I struggled with putting my ideas on paper because I was trying to write “perfect” sentences. My creativity gushed when I took the advice of friends who suggested that I write down my thoughts without being concerned that my sentences were grammatically correct. I’ve learned to edit my material only after I’ve written down my initial thoughts. There is great power in just letting go and trusting that the right words will come to you. My perfectionistic tendencies do return. Even now, when I give a colleague of mine a new manuscript to read for feedback, I have to breathe deeply and remind myself that her criticism will only make my work better. And when I hear her words, I’ve learned to be selective. I ask myself, do the suggestions fit? If they do, I reread the manuscript with them in mind. If they don’t, I discard them. 

Remember, letting go of perfectionism is part of the process of self-mastery. And as we begin to trust ourselves more, accepting our strengths and weaknesses, then we allow the best of ourselves to surface. 

Do you tend to use “perfectionism” as an excuse to avoid taking that next step? How have you overcome those tendencies? Comment and let us know.