Aspire's Awareness Academy

July 2025 Edition

Understanding Perfectionism

Have you ever spent time organizing your kid’s backpack — making sure all the crayons are in color order, the folders are perfectly sorted, and so on? Only to see your child cram their hoodie, Pokémon cards, and uncapped markers into the back while you weren’t looking. Or maybe you pack a well-balanced lunch with a treat and a note of encouragement from you—only to have it returned later in the day, completely untouched and unopened.

What is it that makes us strive for such perfection when, honestly, no one else really cares?

Or perhaps this will resonate with you...

Have you ever spent hours tweaking a presentation, changing font sizes and adjusting colors, convinced it needs to be perfect before you can share it? Only to never get past the first slide because the group’s discussion took a totally different turn.

Do you notice a discrepancy where others seem to care less about their work’s quality, yet they still receive the same praise and pats on the back as you do?



Let’s explore what this perfectionism really is — and how to start lightening up a little.

Psychology Today's Perfectionism Quiz

Perfectionism can be generally categorized into several types, each characterized by different attitudes and behaviors toward perfection and achievement. The main types include:

Adaptive Perfectionist are associated with positive outcomes such as achievement and personal growth. Their behaviors are persistent but flexible, accepting that errors are part of the learning process.

Maladaptive perfectionist can lead to procrastination or avoidance due to fear of imperfection. Their behavior is rigid, inflexible, and often obsessive about standards, which hampers mental well-being and productivity.

While adaptive perfectionism can motivate individuals and promote achievement, maladaptive perfectionism tends to impair mental health, relationships, and overall functioning. Recognizing the difference is crucial for developing healthy strategies to manage perfectionist tendencies.

Perfectionism holds us back. Here’s why |

Charly Haversat | TED Institute

PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD ~Voltaire

To manage perfectionism, start by reflecting on whether your standards are realistic and adjust them to be challenging yet attainable.

Practice self-compassion daily by replacing self-criticism with positive affirmations.

Focus on process goals, celebrating effort and small wins, and create "good enough" criteria to remind yourself that perfection isn’t always necessary.

Limit over-polishing by setting time boundaries for tasks.

Use mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing to reduce anxiety, and keep a journal to track your thoughts and progress.

Helpful resources include books like "When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough" and "The Gifts of Imperfection", along with apps like Headspace and Calm.

If perfectionism causes significant distress, consider seeking support from a coach, counselor or therapist (depending on the level of intervention you need).

Below there are two interventions. A Perfectionism Management Plan and an article on Positive Affirmations:

My hope is that you found something useful, or soaked up some more information that may resonate with you at sometime.

I will leave with this coaching question:

"What would you do differently if you believed that making mistakes was an essential part of growth, rather than a sign of failure?"

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