Doing things with excellence is an incredible quality to possess.

Being a perfectionist, is in my own personal experience of trying to be one, not an incredible quality to possess.

With that in mind, here are 7 quick things you can use to help you escape the perfection trap:

1. Become aware of your negative self-dialogue. Harsh and critical self-assessments reinforce perfectionism and procrastination.
2. Practice self-compassion. When we are compassionate with ourselves, our fear of failure is not exaggerated. Mistakes are understood as being a natural and normal part of learning and life.
3. Take the time to examine whether your goals and expectations are attainable. If they are not, give yourself permission to change them.
4. Break goals down into smaller steps. You don’t have to create the symphony all at once in your life. It’s ok if it’s broken down into bite-size, manageable steps.
5. Examine your irrational fears of failure with a professional. A professional can help with putting your irrational fears into perspective and help you to reach your full potential.
6. Don’t compare yourself unnecessarily with others. Everybody’s journey is different, and comparison is a death trap because our backgrounds, skillsets and circumstances are different. It’s ok to model good things in others, but to try and perfectly match them and then compare your outcome with theirs seldom leads to anything good in our emotions.
7. Remember, you have been gifted by God to join with Him in doing great things. When you bring God into the mix, it’s amazing how well things can turn out.

Be encouraged. You have what it takes to do great things. And if you make a mistake in the process or things don’t turn out perfectly the first time…it’s really ok.

Press on. And enjoy the journey.