When you make a mistake – acknowledge it and move on. For perfectionists this is very difficult because you don’t allow yourselves to make mistakes at all. As a recovering perfectionist I know this only too well.
I realized recently why I became a perfectionist – it was because as a child, if I made a mistake there was a family member who not only made me feel terrible for it, but also continued to mention it, made sure other people knew about it and, in some cases, still mentions things that I did wrong years ago. No wonder I was terrified of making mistakes and strove really hard to make everything perfect.
Mistakes are normal, they are natural and everybody makes them. You cannot do everything perfectly all the time. I know now that when somebody ridicules you for making a mistake it’s an attempt for them to feel better about themselves.
Don’t waste energy on being afraid of mistakes. Don’t waste energy on worrying about what others will think of you. Mistakes are not the end of the world and thinking you have to be perfect all the time isolates you because people have a hard time connecting with you.
Try this affirmation:
“I forgive myself for feeling I have to do everything perfectly and that mistakes are unacceptable. I release myself from the need to be perfect.”
I realized recently why I became a perfectionist – it was because as a child, if I made a mistake there was a family member who not only made me feel terrible for it, but also continued to mention it, made sure other people knew about it and, in some cases, still mentions things that I did wrong years ago. No wonder I was terrified of making mistakes and strove really hard to make everything perfect.
Mistakes are normal, they are natural and everybody makes them. You cannot do everything perfectly all the time. I know now that when somebody ridicules you for making a mistake it’s an attempt for them to feel better about themselves.
Don’t waste energy on being afraid of mistakes. Don’t waste energy on worrying about what others will think of you. Mistakes are not the end of the world and thinking you have to be perfect all the time isolates you because people have a hard time connecting with you.
Try this affirmation:
“I forgive myself for feeling I have to do everything perfectly and that mistakes are unacceptable. I release myself from the need to be perfect.”
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