Overcome Perfectionism Using The 80/20 Rule

Learning how to overcome perfectionism is essential to managing the difficulties that comes with being a perfectionist.
If a genie granted you a wish and said you could make your life perfect, I guarantee you that even after that wish was granted, you would still find something wrong.

That is perfectionism. It doesn’t exist. Yet it’s something that many of us seek in our lives and our relationships. We can be so hard on ourselves for not having the perfect life, the perfect work ethic, the perfect house or the perfect car, and we can be tough on our partners for not being perfect every day and treating us perfectly. 

Seeking perfection is a toxic trait. It’s unhealthy and ridiculous to expect from anyone or anything, including yourself. So today, we will be looking at the 80/20 rule to overcome perfectionism. 

There are a few ways to look at the 80/20 rule. Essentially, each one is just a different way to think about how much effort we’re putting into something.

We’re Going To Look The 80/20 Rule In Three Ways To Overcome Perfectionism:

1. 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts –  This is the idea that the majority of our results come from very few of our actions. And it’s important because there’s never a shortage of things that we could do. Because of this, it’s important to figure out which activities actually help us with each of our passions.
2. 80% of something is amazing and maybe 20% of it could be better – As mentioned, perfectionism is unrealistic to expect. So the idea is to focus on the 80% of something that’s good, and not the 20% that’s not. 
3. 80% of what we do will be done really well and 20% of it will just get done – Again, in case you forgot, perfection is impossible. If you booked a trip to Mexico, found a nice hotel, organized a few day trips but forgot to find the best tequila bar in town, you have done 80% well and 20%, well, you’ll figure it out later. 

This rule is about realizing that you will NEVER be perfect, and situations will never be perfect either. If you are a perfectionist, adopt this rule and watch your life begin to change for the better.

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