Do you want to know the key to finding true happiness in life? Stop trying to be perfect.

Perfectionism can permeate every area of our lives, leaving us feeling exhausted, drained, and defeated. When is enough, good enough? It's not totally our fault. We live in a world where we are consumed with images of perfection that lead us to create unrealistic expectations of ourselves.

In our search to be accepted and acknowledged for who we are, we become so obsessed with getting things “perfect.” We work harder and achieve more, but more is never enough.

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with working hard to achieve your goals in life, but there comes a point when overachievement kicks in and you start to lose yourself in the process. In the words of Maria Shriver, “Perfectionism doesn't make you feel perfect. It makes you feel inadequate.”

Having the courage to let go of your perfectionist behaviors is one of the most empowering things that you can do. Are you ready to stop trying to be perfect? You may not know it yet, but you already are perfect.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

(Podcast Coming Soon)

Are you ready to learn 21 powerful morning rituals that will take your life to the next level? CLICK HERE to receive instant access to my free cheat sheet!

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!

Stop trying to be perfect. It could be preventing you from success.

Research suggests that anxiety over making mistakes may ultimately be holding some perfectionists back from ever achieving success in the first place. Here's the tricky thing about perfection… it can be easily confused with striving for high standards of achievement. But there is a difference.

Striving for excellence motivates you to achieve more. It acts as your cheerleader, who nourishes your self-esteem and reminds you that you are enough. Conversely, perfectionism is like a bully who leaves you feeling defeated and drained. It reminds you that nothing is good enough and that you have to constantly prove your worth to the world in order to feel successful. Which mode of living do you operate by?

If it's perfectionism, this mode of living could be seriously holding you back. Perfection does not exist, so stop letting it run your life. When you stop trying to be perfect and instead strive for improvement, you give yourself permission to focus on what is working well, versus what is not working. Drop the unrealistic expectations. This mindset will only cause you to have unnecessary stress, anxiety, and fear of failure.

How would your life change if you were able to stop being your own worst enemy and drop your perfectionist behaviors? Now is the time to make a shift. Let's explore 6 reasons why you need to stop trying to be perfect.

1. It's Not Possible

If you are striving for perfection, stop! Why? Because you are trying to achieve something that doesn’t exist. The desire for perfection is an epidemic that inflicts a lot of people. In one's search for a perfect existence, they become disillusioned and unable to live in the present moment.

In today's world, everything is in a constant state of change. If you think that something is perfect today, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will still be perfect tomorrow. The world is far from perfect, so why are you trying to perfect too?

In his book, The Dutiful Worrier: How to Stop Compulsive Worry Without Feeling Guilty, author Elliot Cohen says, “You can't have perfection in an imperfect world…when someone demands perfection, either with themselves or with others, they create frustration for all involved.” When we are able to accept our imperfections and fully embrace who we are, our lives become more inspiring and joyous. In the words of Abby Covert, “Perfection isn't possible, but progress is.” 

2. It Diminishes Your Self-Worth

I challenge you to find me a perfectionist that has high self-esteem. It doesn't go hand in hand. People who have high self-esteem will encourage themselves to grow, but they also accept that life isn't perfect, that they will make mistakes in life, and that that's OK. Conversely, a perfectionist sets unrealistic expectations of themselves, and when they don't reach them, they punish themselves.

Perfectionism is a self-esteem crusher. It feeds your inner critic, who constantly reminds you that you aren't enough. According to a recent study, the perfectionist’s need to meet unattainable standards of excellence can lead to depression and anxiety if their results don’t meet their expectations.

Did you talk to yourself like you would talk to a good friend? If the answer is no, you need to stop trying to be perfect. I encourage you to start integrating self-compassion exercises into your morning ritual. Don't define your worth based on how perfect you can be. Be kind to yourself and love your human-ness. We are all imperfectly flawed in our own way.

3. It Decreases Your Productivity 

Perfectionists have an all-or-nothing mindset. Do you always question whether or not your work is good enough? Do you worry that you will make mistakes and be rejected by others if you don't do the “best” job possible? If so, perfectionism may be holding you back from achieving your goals.

Oftentimes, many high achieving people don't even know that they are perfectionists because they define their behavior as going “above and beyond.”

Wrong.

Sure, it's great to value hard work, but there comes a point when you are in danger of becoming a perfectionist. Stop trying to be perfect because it is killing your productivity. It will also stifle your chances of success in life.

A great way to overcome perfectionism is to implement the 80/20 rule into your work. This rule states that 80% of your results are coming from 20% of your effort. Hence, the more time and effort that you put into procrastinating, the less productive you will be. Continue to do great work, but adopt the mindset that done is better than perfect, or else you will never achieve the results that you desire.

4. It Makes You Unhappy

Procrastination has the potential to disrupt every area of your life. It's hard to feel happy in life when you are constantly dissatisfied with everything that you do. If we aren't moving forward in life we are stuck, and that's a zone that a lot of procrastinators are familiar with. Stop trying to be perfect, because it could be killing your happiness.

The Procrastination Research Group, run by Timothy A. Pychyl, interviewed over 10,000 people in a survey and found that 94% of them confessed that procrastination indeed takes away some piece of their happiness. Why? Because procrastinators tend to live with a lot of regrets, which fuels a vicious cycle of stress, shame, and self-criticism.

Here's the good news. Happiness is a choice. You have the power to choose how you feel, and whether you want to believe it or not, procrastination is a voluntary behavior that transforms into a bad habit. Like any habit, it is up to you to change it. Stop suffering and start taking back control of your life and your time.

5. It Is A Time Killer

When a task has no solid due date, a perfectionist can get caught in the deadly trap of information overload, where time stands still and indecision reigns supreme. Being a hard worker is a great quality, but when it starts to waste your precious time, you need to re-assess your behavior. Are you wasting your time in the hopes of achieving perfection?

If you want to learn how to effectively manage your time and your life, you have to stop trying to be perfect and waiting for “the right time” to take action. In our desire to make our work perfect, we become overly critical and end up spending hours on one project. STOP. When we obsess over details, that is when we end up making more mistakes.

You will achieve more if you set a timer, put in a good amount of effort on one task, and then move on! You can always go back and make it better, but you need to remember that the most effective use of your time is knowing the point at which you need to stop thinking actually start doing something.

6. It Feeds Your Fear of Failure 

The root of all procrastination is fear of failure. What many of us don't realize is that fear is something that our mind creates, which means that it isn't real even though we perceive it to be so. Perfectionism is a fear-based thought pattern that tries to trick us into believing that we aren't good enough.

When people fear failure, they stay in their comfort zones. To a perfectionist, that means never finishing anything because doing so would mean that they are taking the risk of failing. They continue to put off what it is that they need to do and end up falling farther into a procrastination hole. Guess what is down there? Not a hell of a lot.

Is it possible to overcome the fear of failure and procrastination? Yes. It starts with taking action. There is no perfect moment to do something. Rather, you just need to dive in and trust yourself. If you wait, your fearful mind will start playing tricks on you, and fool you into believing that you don't have what it takes. You need to understand that making mistakes is a normal part of life. If you fall, take the opportunity to learn from it, and move forward. Once you adopt this mindset, your fear of failure will take a back to seat to the achievement of your goals and dreams.

Dale Carnegie said it best, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” It's time to stop trying to be perfect. What are you waiting for?

Life is a lot more enjoyable when you stop trying to be perfect.

It can be hard to give up being a perfectionist. We get sucked into the belief that, if we master perfection, we have mastered life. This fantasy is so far from true. It takes a lot of work to give up being perfect, but the payoff is so worth it.

At first, it may feel overwhelming to make such a huge mindset shift. But being a procrastinator is a bad habit, and any habit can be changed, with commitment, consistency, and hard work. Don't limit your potential and be someone that you're not in order to please everyone else. Be comfortable with who you are and live in alignment with your truth.

Now is the time to stop trying to be perfect. The quest for perfection is a long, arduous, and painful road that leads nowhere. In the words of Robert Hillyer, “Perfectionism is a dangerous state of mind that in an imperfect world.” No matter how hard that you try, you will never be perfect. You may not know it just yet, but you are perfect just the way that you are.

If you've been stuck in a never-ending cycle of perfectionist behavior, now is the time to take back control of your life. What is one thing that you can commit to doing today that will help you stop trying to be perfect?

Are you ready to learn 21 powerful morning rituals that will take your life to the next level? CLICK HERE to receive instant access to my free cheat sheet!