How Adopting Growth Mindset, Helps Me Let Go of Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be viewed in both positive and negative, can be a double-edged sword – it can drive us to excel and achieve great things, but it can also hold us back and prevent us from enjoying life to the fullest. It can cause us to be overly critical of ourselves, procrastinate, and give up on our goals and dreams.

As once a long-time victim of the perfectionism cycle, perfectionism can cause more damage than the positive if not fully understood and placed under control. During my high school years, I always saw myself as not good enough, which resulted in me never showing my classwork exercises to my classmates or friends, fearing they might make fun of me, see my mistakes and label me as ignorant. The same impediment continued to haunt me even during my years at the University, where I sometimes compared my work to others and was critical of myself for not producing such high-end work as others did. I believe such a mindset has placed me in a box-like scenario, where I never break free to express my ideas fully in writing, designing, business, and or doing something good to move forward in life. See my article “Why It's Important to Start Before You're Ready”.

I was so lucky to come across a YouTube video on adopting a growth mindset by Vusi Thembekwayo. I googled the growth mindset principle or the idea and start implementing the line of thinking and it transformed my life. We will explore the idea, which I believe, will help transform someone with a similar issue of perfectionism to let go of it and live a more fulfilling life.

What is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is a belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed and improved through hard work, dedication, and learning. In contrast, a fixed mindset is the belief that our abilities and intelligence are set in stone and cannot be changed. People with a growth mindset view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning, while those with a fixed mindset may see them as failures and give up. This growth mindset concept can be learned more from Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset.

How a Growth Mindset Can Help Let Go of Perfectionism

Embrace Challenges: People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities for growth and learning rather than as threats to their self-esteem. By embracing challenges, we can learn to view our mistakes and failures as learning experiences, rather than as personal shortcomings.

Focus on the Process: Perfectionists tend to focus on the outcome and the final product, rather than the process of learning and growth. By focusing on the process and enjoying the journey, we can let go of our obsession with perfection and learn to appreciate the journey itself.

Celebrate Progress: Perfectionists often focus on what they haven't accomplished, rather than what they have. By celebrating our progress and recognizing our achievements, we can learn to value our growth and hard work, rather than just the result.

Practice Gratitude: Perfectionism can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration. By practising gratitude and focusing on what we have, rather than what we don't have, we can learn to appreciate our lives and let go of our perfectionist tendencies.

Embrace Your Imperfections: Perfectionism can lead us to view our flaws and imperfections as weaknesses, rather than as unique and valuable qualities. By embracing our imperfections, we can learn to accept ourselves as we are, rather than constantly striving for an unattainable standard of perfection.

In conclusion, adopting a growth mindset can help us let go of perfectionism and live a more fulfilling life. By embracing challenges, focusing on the process, celebrating progress, practising gratitude and embracing our imperfections, we can learn to value our growth and hard work, rather than just the result.