Infuse 5.5 FNCE Special Edition | Page 28

with
Confessions of a
Recovering
Perfectionist
S
P
I
T
8
p
to hel !
s
other
by Maree Ferguson,
Founder & Director, Dietitian Connection
A
re you a perfectionist? I
certainly am. I suspect it’s also
a trait that many of my fellow
dietitians possess, given our
scientific training and our tendency
towards precision, transparency and
accountability.
Sorry, I just re-wrote that first paragraph five times – let
me start again!
Just kidding. In all seriousness, being a perfectionist can
be a challenge. But I’ve made some progress in managing
my perfectionist tendencies over the years as I got to
know myself better, and I’d like to share what’s worked for
me, in hopes you can apply some of the same strategies.
Here are my 8 TIPS on overcoming
ist:
ion
your inner perfect
1
Just let those ideas
flow: Quickly complete a first
draft to get your ideas on paper,
then share it with someone
else for their feedback. We are our
own worst critics, so if someone you
respect says what you have written is
okay, it’s usually good enough to hit
the “send” button.
© Dietitian Connection
28
2
Set a time limit: I give myself
a dedicated amount of time to
complete a task; for example, for
this article, I allotted a maximum
of one hour. I’m less likely to
procrastinate (and go and visit
social media!) if I have a short
amount of time to finish writing.
Work generally expands to fill the
available time.
3
Do your best work when
you’re fresh: I write first thing
on a Monday morning, ideally
before opening email, when I
am fresh from the weekend and
less likely to be distracted by the
happenings of the week to come.
Infuse | October 2018 - Special FNCE issue