🦋 Part 2: Breaking Free: Practical Steps to Overcome Perfectionism
🍏 Sol Bites: Perfectionism Reduction 101: A 3-Step Plan
🌈 Perfectionism Reduction 201: Practice Emotional Tolerance
✨ Journal Prompts to Explore Further
📹 Video Bite: Greg Carruthers on Overcoming Perfectionist Trap
🦉 Words of Wisdom
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Part 2: Breaking Free: Practical Steps to Overcome Perfectionism
If you've already read last week’s edition of this newsletter, you know how perfectionism isn't really about striving for perfect results—it's a coping mechanism to avoid hurting feelings, and it’s most often something you developed in your childhood.
Think of perfectionism as a security blanket that you cling to in hopes that it will safeguard you from fear, guilt, or loneliness. In fact, though, it's a trap that generates stress and steals joy.
The good news: You can escape its grip. In Part 2 of this series, we'll provide tips for managing perfectionism and a list of journaling questions to guide you along the way.
Why “good enough” is actually the secret to feeling good
Sol Bites: Perfectionism Reduction 101: A 3-Step Plan
Breaking the perfectionism cycle starts with becoming aware of your triggers and learning more healthful ways to deal with emotional hurt. Here's a simple plan:
Identify your emotional trigger. If you catch yourself in perfectionist mode (e.g., re-writing a fifth email), pause and ask:
What am I feeling? (Anxiety? Shame?)
What triggered the emotion? (A judgmental boss? A deadline?)
Replace your old strategy. Develop a "playbook" of replacements. If your overworking is triggered by loneliness, call a friend or take a walk instead. If over-preparing is triggered by anxiety, engage in a 5-minute breathing exercise.
Practice and experiment. Change takes time. If one strategy doesn't work, try another. It's like tinkering with recipes—you'll find out what works with repetition.
Perfectionism Reduction 201: Learn to be Emotionally Tolerant
Perfectionism arises because uncomfortable feelings—such as fear, shame, loneliness, or inadequacy—feel dangerous, so you try to escape them in a hurry.
The good news? You don't have to fix your emotions.
Feelings are not the enemy. They're fleeting, like clouds moving across the sky.
The secret to coping with them: Mindfulness. Simply recognize your feelings and accept them, but don't act on them.
Try this 2-Minute Drill:
If a feeling that provokes perfectionism arises, set a timer for 2 minutes.
Sit with the feeling—no fixing, no distracting. Just notice it.
After 2 minutes, decide what to do next. Gradually work up to 4 or 7 minutes.
This develops emotional tolerance, showing you can handle discomfort without perfectionism.
You will see disrupting emotions fade faster than you expect.
Journaling Prompts to Explore Further
Following are some beloved journaling starters that can assist you in uncovering you perfectionism's origins and monitoring your progress.
Work on one prompt today (you only need 5 minutes!) and return to the others in a few days:
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Your Next Step
You don't have to be perfect to live a happy and productive life.
Begin small: Attempt the 2-Minute Drill or one journaling question today.
Share your insights with a friend, or email us for support. Practice builds confidence to tackle emotions without perfectionism's hold.
Missed Part 1? Read it here to learn why perfectionism is so sticky.
Video Bite
Sol TV Creator Greg Carruthers shares a master hack to help you retrain your brain and get out of the perfectionist trap and beat procrastination.
Words of Wisdom
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.
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Want More: Tools to Overcome Perfectionism
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Along the Same Lines…
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Mona & The Sol TV Team ❤️
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