Being a perfectionist is not an easy thing to admit.  It’s both a blessing and a curse.  The blessing is that since I expect a lot of myself. I know I’m giving, and my clients are receiving, my best work.  Then there’s the curse.  It is, at times, frustrating and disappointing.  Expecting a perfect outcome brings the curse of fear; fear of failure and fear of not living up to our own expectations.

There Are Things You Can’t Control

There’s nothing worse than giving 110+% of yourself to a client only to find that it’s not enough for them.  Fact is, it never will be.  That kind of client will always have their own agenda and the rules will always change. Yet, we persist.  We keep giving our best and lose sleep trying to figure out ways to satisfy a person who will never be satisfied.

A perfectionist will always work to make the impossible possible.  What we don’t often realize is that the battle has already been lost. The impossible standards that we’ve set for ourselves often lead us to believe that if we only do more, this hopeless situation will change.

Here’s the Truth

Perfectionism is an illusion.  It’s a loss of control.  Perfectionism isn’t all bad, though.  Properly used, it will inspire you and lead you to a high level of self-satisfaction.  You benefit from knowing that you’ve done your best.  Your client benefits from receiving the highest level of service; the things successful businesses thrive on.

Take control and focus on being the best you can be. Take ownership of what you’ve done right and what you can do to improve.  Recognize that there are people who will never be satisfied and will, right or wrong, only find fault in your services.

Perfectionism changes your emotional response. Choose to use your perfectionism to become proactive, make better decisions, and enjoy better results.

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