4 Signs Perfectionism Is Holding You Back (And How to Break Free)

4 Signs Perfectionism Is Holding You Back (And How to Break Free) In thebusiness world,there are no gold stars foreffortor report cards to gauge yurprogress.Yet a common mistake is treating work like school. As CEO and author, Sallie Krawcheckpoints outLets bedrngnis confuse what made us successful in school for what can make us successful in our careers.While an honor roll mindset can translate into a drive to succeed that lands you deals and accolades, it can easily lead toworkaholism and burnout. The industriousness that served you well in school may now be whats actuallyhindering your productivity and professional progress.Thats because when you hold yourself to exacting standards as many high-achievers do you can get caught in the trap of perfectionism.The result? Feeling perpetually frustrated, stressed, unacknowledged, orlike you never measure up.Heres some signs an honor student hangover might be costing you1. You beat yourself up when you make a mistake.For you, a goof is really hard for you torebound from even if it doesnt have a larger effect on your career standing.Perfectionists experience shame, as opposed to guilt, over screwing up.Shamesays I am bad (which suggests a character flaw) whereas guilt says, I did something wrong.2. If something isnt perfect, its not good enough.You insist on dotting every i and crossing every t on every single task, or else it just doesnt sit right with you. That tunnel vision can stunt your ability tomake decisions and move forward.Attention to detail is obviously an important skill that makes you successful (even if youre not being graded on it anymore). But theresa differencebetween excellent and perfect. The latter does not exist.3. You push yourself to work harder not necessarily smarter.Yourenever satisfiedwith yourself, most notably when youre treating yourself to hard-earned deserved downtime, which you probably view as wasteful.Thispenchantto give your all to your career can come at the expense of your wel l-being, leaving you ripe for burnout.4. You expect gold stars.In her bookThe Happiness Project, happiness expertGretchen Rubin talks about her frustration with not receiving metaphorical gold stars for adult achievement. If you feel expectant of and disappointed by not gettinga pat on the back for your successes, youre probably suffering from honor student hangover, too.Heres the thing its great to have high standards, and even better to be able to actually hit themmost of the time.But if you operate in your career constantly striving for A-pluses, the effort is not only futile, but also harmful. Youre going to burn out.And besides, its simply not possible. Its not how the working world, well, works. Trying to achieve the saatkorn Gifted and Talented student status in your job is a dream destined togo unfulfilled.Heres how you can hold on to high standards, but keepperfectionismin check.1. Face up to the ironic consequences.Not only does having an honor student hangover from your a dolescence into your adulthood drive you nuts withunrealistic expectations, it can actually erode yourself-esteemand performance.If youre constantly falling short of where you think you should be, youre never going to feel good enough. Over the long term, thatfeeling of inadequacycan lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy youll shirk new responsibilities, avoid taking risks, and otherwise stunt your professional growth all because of fear.2. Consider multiple measures of success.As a student, you were graded on academic performance alone. In real life, how you define success is much more within your control.In fact,research shows that chasing after external motivators like a prestigious title or bigger paycheck wont make you happier. Pursuing meaningful work and deep relationships, on the hand, can result in authentic happiness.3. Have some compassion for yourself.Remove I wish and I should from your vocabulary. Only say things to yourself that you would say to your close friend. Cut yo urself some slack.If youve had a life-long track record of achievement, carrying your honor student outlook into your professional life is something that probably happened naturally, and its not the easiesthabitto shed.Start to separate the parts of that mentalitythat are productivefrom the ones that no longer serve you.Then you can strive to continue succeeding without the weight of trying to reach an unreasonable bar.--Melody Wilding is a coach and licensed social worker who helpsambitious executives and entrepreneursmaster the psychology of success. Her clients include managers at top companies like Google and HP, media personalities, and startup founders. She also teaches Human Behavior at Hunter College in NYC. Learn more atmelodywilding.com.This article first appeared onInc.