perfectionism and - Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation

Audience participation
• For the next minute, I want you to think
about anything in the world except…
Warm jelly doughnuts
4. When it works, it works. When it
doesn’t, it doesn’t.
• Trying very hard leads to failure
↓
↑
• Beating yourself up for failing leads you to try
even harder!
• Perfectionism may not be working and your
efforts to “force” it to work may be making it
worse
– How many times does a strategy have to fail before
you decide to drop it
• Insanity = doing the same thing, but expecting
a different outcome
Motivation Summary
• Think of your ratio of payoffs v. costs, especially
if you’re dissatis7ied with the ratio in some area
• Consider the successes you’re missing or
ignoring because of the narrow focus of
perfectionism
• Work up the courage to try something radically
different from perfectionism. The outcome may
surprise you.
• Be honest with yourself about strategies that
aren’t working, even if they feel like they can,
should, or will.
SATURDAY
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