***3 Time Management Strategies to Transform Perfection Paralysis into Productivity

Heart-Based Time Management™ strategies can help you free yourself from beliefs and habits that hold you back and stifle your success – no matter what your goals may be. A very good example is the habit of perfectionism. It can tie you in knots, can’t it?

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.” Harriet Braiker
The more of your time and energy you devote to pursuing perfection, the bigger, more demanding – and more discouraging it becomes. That’s because perfection is, by definition, an unattainable goal. It’s a moving target that you can spend a lifetime pursuing … and never, ever reach.

But the good news is that perfectionism is not a character trait. Perfectionists aren’t born; they are made. Seeing perfectionism for what it is - nothing more than a learned behavior – means that it is something that you can unlearn. This is a very empowering fact.

And the even better news is that when you commit to understanding and overcoming perfectionism, you’ll start learning first-hand how much more pleasurable and productive your life can be! Ready to jump in?
Three Time Management Strategies to Overcome Perfectionism:

1. Unmask Your Perfectionist: The first step is to get to know what your Perfectionist Voice sounds like. The debilitating messages you give yourself are usually so familiar and so embedded in your psyche that you hardly notice them. That’s a big part of the reason they remain powerful – we are unaware of them, but deeply affected nonetheless. So, pay particular attention to perfectionist messages that you give yourself, for example, “This isn’t nearly comprehensive enough. You need to add more data,” and start writing them down.

You’ll immediately start to notice and identify the expectations that aren't realistic. This is big accomplishment in itself! Just make a note of the messages. Don’t try to argue with your inner perfectionist or defend yourself – this is not a rational part of you. Simply envision yourself placing each perfectionistic message into a sack, and then adding the contents of the sack to a roaring bonfire. And then replace each of those perfectionistic messages with a realistic goal.

2. Get to the Root of Your Perfectionist by identifying the source (or sources) of this voice in your life. This may be obvious to you, or it might take some time and persistence to trace these messages to their roots. But stick with it – the information will surely help move you toward freedom.

A good way to start is to sit back and relax, closing your eyes. Tune into the voice of your perfectionist as if you were tuning in to a radio station from long ago. Whose voices do you hear? Did particular members of your family urge you to perform? Were there teachers in your past who made unrealistic demands? Did you have a larger-than-life role model whose standards were way beyond your reach? Let yourself explore the sounds and scenes of your past; you’re sure to find clues and keys that will help you along the path, as you unlock the prison of perfectionism.

3. Name the Fear that Fuels. Perfectionism isn’t really about attaining something. Not at all. It is actually about fleeing from something. That is what fuels it.

For every individual the particulars are different (and important), but what’s universal is the driving force of fear at the core of all perfectionism. So every time you identify and name the source of your fear, you take back your power.

Do you fear failure? Do you fear others’ opinions of you? (Perhaps even others who are long gone from your life?) Or do you fear success and feel apprehensive about what will happen if you do succeed?

Whatever your particular personal fears may be, it’s important to know, right down to your bones, that it’s an illusion to think that perfectionism can "fix it." If you hope that being "perfect" will provide you with a measure of control over your environment that is impossible to attain, it is both realistic and compassionate to let that go.

At the end of the day, we each have the power to replace perfectionism with realism. We each have the power to validate (and come to believe in our hearts) that our best is good enough.

Part of what that means is that we each need to make our peace with those things that lie beyond our ability to fix. And interestingly, when you allow yourself room to learn and grow (as opposed to requiring perfection), you feel empowered and experience the world as a safer place. Indeed, living more realistically makes your time at once more enjoyable and more productive.

So start today to replace perfectionism with productivity.
And to move toward your Heart-Based Time Success, sign up for our free gift, the Finding Time Success Kit which includes "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" Using a workbook format, this powerful and practical time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration and discover that 24 hours really are enough!

Offered by Paula Eder, Ph.D. The Time Finder Expert.
Paula Eder, PhD is an internationally-known coach and published author who specializes in mentoring heart-based entrepreneurs and small business owners, from the inside out, to align their core values and energy with their time choices and behaviors so that they make more money, create more freedom, and find more time.

You can learn more about Paula’s unique, Heart-Based Time Management System™ and begin your transformational journey by signing up for her Finding Time Success Kit. Discover how you can find time for what matters most.