Being A Perfectionist Can Quickly Eat Away At Your Mental Health, But The “80% Rule” Can Help You Say Goodbye To The Idea That Things Need To Be Completed Perfectly 100% Of The Time
Do you feel anxious when things aren’t done perfectly? Does disorganization and a lack of plans make you feel unsettled? Do you put things off until you know they can be done right?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all those questions, you may struggle with being a perfectionist. So many people in the world identify as a perfectionist or someone who lives with the constant pressures of their own standards.
When you have perfectionist tendencies, you may hold yourself back from certain opportunities that could help you grow. You may avoid taking on passion projects or tapping into your creative side because you feel you can’t fully commit to them and make them perfect.
Holding yourself to standards that are too high and being a perfectionist may help you in certain aspects of life, but if you don’t know how to cope with that behavior, it can exhaust you and eat away at you.
Something many perfectionists have been following to curb all the insecurities and anxiety that come with being one is the ‘80% rule.’
The 80% rule helps you shake the idea that things need to be completed 100% perfectly. Not everything you do has to be completed at 100%. Of course, you don’t want to apply mediocre effort to every task or chore, but you can’t go through life expecting things to be perfect.
So, the 80% rule means that you should start aiming for 80% perfection versus 100%.
Whether you’re completing a workout, cooking a meal, doing your makeup, assembling an outfit, or doing something for work, instead of worrying that something is 100% perfect, settle for 80%.
It’s a good way to remember that while you can strive to put your best effort towards your daily tasks and projects, they can’t be perfection. Everyone has flaws, but the world won’t implode because of them.
Iona – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Sometimes, you can’t get everything done in one go, whether that be housework or career work. The 80% rule is meant to help you relax and accept that you can always carry on tomorrow instead of beating yourself up for not accomplishing everything you want in one go.
Adapting to this mindset and becoming comfortable with it will take some time. It’s not a cure for perfectionists that kicks in right away.
It requires practice, experience, and patience. Journaling and talking to someone about your day-to-day experiences can help you maintain an 80% rule mindset.
While old habits die hard, taking on a positive mindset like the 80% rule can help you curb your anxiety and get you closer to self-forgiveness.
Remember, you’re not perfect, and life is messy. And that’s okay! You can accomplish great things without striving for perfection all the time. You’ve got this!
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