Try as I may I will always be a perfectionist. From rising to senior leadership, at a Fortune 100 company, at the tender age of 27, to simultaneously getting a masters degree, psychology training, a coaching certificate and starting my own successful coaching consultancy at age 40 to injuring myself spectacularly at 49, I don’t do anything half baked or half way.
My career choice, leadership coaching, began in the same Fortune 100 company. My obsession with revamping and overhauling a leadership team, in record speed, reflects my perfectionism and ultimately resulted in no choice but to quit, what with daily migraines and too burned out to hardly move for three months.
Realizing that my perfectionist ethic was not healthy, I took up yoga, meditation and journal writing classes and felt myself coming back to life. Going back for a master’s degree in personal development and taking coaching training reflected my need to share what I had learned with other corporate female executives and became the basis of my leadership and life coaching practice. .
Even though I have learned a lot about life balance I have not changed as a person deep down. I still put high quality above and beyond everything else and find that for many of us, once a perfectionist always a perfectionist. So, how can we work with our natural inclinations to high standards without loss of life and limb? 
These days, I coach executive women, who “must have things perfect” in the perfectionist’s anti perfection tactics that I also employ. I hesitate on passing these on as most people who meet me think I have everything together. It is kind of an “only my life coach knows for sure” approach.
So, here goes, I will share a few of my top perfectionist secrets to anti-perfectionism, if you will share yours! 

Distract and Dazzle

This works in many areas of life. An example: my dear friend and colleague Karen uses this in simplifying her wardrobe.  Karen is, a self proclaimed perfectionist. We served our time at the same Fortune 100 company and still have our matching “marching boots” and “eagle paraphernalia” to show for it. Karen is always dressed impeccably and in the height of sophistication. I asked her about her secret.
Karen tells me, “I always wear a smart looking watch and always keep my shoes shined and then voila the rest of the outfit falls into place”. Ingenious- I always thought that dressing beautifully involved a lot of work.  I had never really noticed that Karen wears a lot of basic black, and is often in jeans.  Her great accessories are always in style. Karen’s fabulous dress sense always dazzles me. Her stunning accessories pull her whole outfit together. Karen warms my perfectionist’s fashion heart.

Use the Camouflage

Elizabeth reminded me of one of my favorites camouflaging secrets. When you want your house to look perfect for a dinner party and you have no time or energy or money for cleaning, always invite your friends for dinner after dark.  Light candles; wipe down the bathroom and your guests will be transported into a sparkling wonderland.
Another camouflage housekeeping tip: Make sure your carpet is the same color as your pets. Then you can cut down on the constant vacuuming that our perfectionist natures obsess about.

Keep It Really Short and Really Sweet

My friend, Hazel, is a “mastress” of “the relationship”. Hazel has a fabulously successful real estate practice. Everything is impeccably professional when you deal with Hazel. I have often marveled at how she does it with her own health issues and having just lost her dear husband.
Hazel is famous for the “pop by”.  She makes sure that she keeps in touch with her dear clients and friends (often one and the same) by scheduling really short but frequent check ins. Hazel has been known to “pop by” with just the perfect book to cheer up a client who is ill or to help with a quick household task.. Hazel’s secret is that she keeps her visits and calls really short and high quality; sometimes she is in and out in 15 minutes but we always enjoy a good laugh and we have become dear friends. Who do you think I recommend for everyone’s real estate needs?

Keep Your Perfectionist on A Schedule

Ah, the perfectionist in me is still prone to writing and rewriting articles etcetera.  With a busy coaching practice, a back injury and frequent migraines I have to keep my perfectionist on a tight schedule. I carry a timer with me every where I go.  I set my timer for 15 minute bursts. I estimate how many 15 minute bursts a task will take me and I stick to the time like glue. This way my perfectionist does not rule the roost and I enjoy a relaxed and varied life.
Oh, I hear my timer going off so it is time to end. Which bring me to my last tip.

Know when good enough is good enough

I will take my cue from Elizabeth, an accomplished lawyer and life long perfectionist, who keeps a sign with those words above her desk.
See you next month!