How to embrace anti-perfectionism for good

Laura Stevenson explains how to embrace anti-perfectionism and set yourself free from unnecessary limitation 

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on happiful

Anti-perfectionism teaches us that, when tackling any task, we can be happy to learn slowly, through trial and error, and by making mistakes – here’s how to embrace it.

Establish your reason

When taking on any task, it’s always helpful to start by considering your end goal – your reasons for starting a task, new project, or picking up a hobby might be to learn the processes involved, to save money, to enjoy the experience. 

None of these objectives requires you to become an expert as they are all about something other than achieving an immaculate outcome. Anti-perfectionism allows us to create or enjoy without the pressure of expecting perfect results – it’s about doing your best, making improvements, and enjoying yourself.

Use what you’ve got and start where you are

Think about your starting point, what you know about the task you are taking on, and what skills you need. These starting points are useful in helping us to accept our limitations. Without the pressure of the ‘right way’ of doing something, you can be creative with the ways in which you do things by learning through trial and error. Stepping back and looking at what you’ve done can help you find joy in your efforts.

Set reasonable goals which acknowledge your skills

Allowing yourself plenty of time and giving yourself permission to make mistakes are aligned with anti-perfectionism; if you have never done something before, it’s unreasonable to expect expert results in record-breaking time! Anti-perfectionism lets us choose to hire a , if that’s what suits us or, if we want to do it ourselves, we can work slowly, celebrating progress along the way.  

Enjoy the process

To make sure the process is as enjoyable as outcome you can take progression photos and create mood boards before starting a project, or you can focus on emotional outcomes, like joy, mindfulness and pride, as well as finished products.

Celebrate your successes

Anti-perfectionism gives you space to celebrate things that you have done well, enjoyed, and achieved – you can embrace the things that haven’t gone to plan, don’t look like textbook versions, or that you struggled with.