The Dreamers Ultimate Guide to Overcome Perfectionism

If you read my article about escaping the prison of perfectionism, you know that I’m a perfectionist. Maybe it has to do with being a Virgo, or having an INTJ personality, or just being a human with an entrepreneur spirit. No matter what the cause, the result can be paralyzing to my dreams if I don’t overcome perfectionism.

For us dreamers, we need to take a hold on our perfectionism to get things done. We already know the 5 things about being a dreamer with a day job. Below is the ultimate guide to overcome perfectionism and start living your dreams. Don’t wait until things are perfect before you start achieving your goals.

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The Dreamers Ultimate Guide to Overcome Perfectionism:

Create a to do list.

When you have a definite dream that you want to achieve, you need a plan. Sit down and write out EXACTLY what needs to happen for you to be successful. Make sure you are using the SMART goal setting method when you are creating your list.

I have discovered the best way for me to start to overcome perfectionism is to have a plan laid out. I map out the things I need to do every month, and then each day I ALSO create a to do list (you will definitely want to get a planner like the Clever Fox Planner to store your list). This ensures each day that I’m working towards my ultimate goal.

Set a timeline for your launch.

Part of the SMART method is making sure your goals are time based. This not only gives you something to work towards, but it also creates a deadline. When you work with deadlines, you focus on completing the task, to the best of your ability, by that date. Finishing becomes the concern rather than being perfect.

I like to use the 80/20 method when I work on my tasks. I know that I can’t do EVERYTHING at 100% and get my work done. There are some things that have less importance, some that I don’t enjoy, and some things I simply don’t have time to perfect. So I will make sure to give at least 80% focus, effort, and perfectionism to each of my tasks, while letting the other 20% slide.

Use technology to your benefit.

I’m very grateful we live in a world of technology! There are 3 “offices” in which I work on my projects, and I have multiple schedulers to help myself plan my life. Planners, organized binders, calendars, and note apps also make an appearance daily in my life.

Use your technology to overcome perfectionism. Set up reminders in your phone for things to do/focus on, as well as, notate important things on specific dates. Have a set area where you keep everything organized–I have a binder complete with passwords, income/expense sheets, ideas, references, etc. all in one place. Utilize schedulers for your social media. Facebook has one built in, but I also love buffer because it’s free.

Remember done is better than perfect.

At the end of the day, you need to remember that done is more important than being perfect. Without a completed project, you can’t start collecting sales, promoting your idea, or living your dream. This is the biggest mindset you will need to overcome perfectionism.

As a writer, I hear this all the time in my critique group. We can edit and rework a manuscript for MONTHS and still find something to fix. But when the goal is to get published, you eventually have to draw the line and say this book is good. Otherwise, we will never send them out.

The perfectionism in us will always want our work to be the ultimate best, but that won’t help us achieve our goals. Remember your competitors aren’t waiting for you to be perfect. If we aren’t taking action, we’re going to miss our opportunity. Don’t miss opportunities due to perfectionism. Work to overcome perfectionism. And read my article to break free of being a prisoner to perfect, if you want to understand the root of your perfectionism more to help you overcome it better.