Getting started
The first step in overcoming perfectionism is to identify the areas in your life where it is a problem.
Example Areas of Perfectionism and Common Thoughts and Behaviours
| Area of perfectionism | Thoughts | Behaviours |
| Eating | I must not eat high-fat food | Limit my eating |
| Shape | I should be a size 6 to look good | Reduce eating, increase exercising |
| Weight | 50kg is the perfect weight for me | Decrease eating, increase exercising |
| Friends | I must appear funny and clever | Rehearse jokes and stories |
| Checking locks, appliances | I must be 100% sure | Check and re-check |
| Ordering objects | Things must be in perfect order | Order and arrange objects daily |
| Organisation | Lists are necessary to be organized | Write detailed lists |
| Looks | I must look perfect | Always wear makeup and ironed clothes |
| Hygiene | I must have perfectly clean hands | Wash hands over and over |
| Art | I need to paint perfectly | Re-do paintings |
| Music | I must not play a note wrong | Avoid playing in concerts |
| Sports | To perform my best, I need to train harder | Train more than coach recommends |
| Studies | I must always score above 80% | Spend many hours editing assignment |
| Health and fitness | I must exercise everyday | Be very hard on myself when I do not exercise daily |
In the past month, which are the areas you have set high standards for? It can be helpful to think of areas where you think you must do well, where you must always have things just right, or where you would feel very worried if you were to perform at a lower level.
Which Areas of Perfectionism Apply to Me?
| Step 1: Tick each area you have perfectionism
Step 2: What goes through your mind about this area (thoughts)? Step 3: What do you do in response to perfectionism in this area (behaviours)? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Area of perfectionism | Thoughts | Behaviours |
| Eating | ||
| Shape | ||
| Weight | ||
| Friends | ||
| Checking locks, appliances | ||
| Ordering objects | ||
| Organization | ||
| Looks | ||
| Hygiene | ||
| Art | ||
| Music | ||
| Sporting performance | ||
| Studies | ||
| Health and fitness | ||
| Others | ||