CBT · Cognitive
Perfectionism — Good Enough Scale
Define good enough in advance and run the experiment
Perfectionism isn't high standards — it's a rule that says anything less than the perfect version makes you less worthy. The work is naming the cost, defining "good enough" in advance, and running a small experiment to find out the sky doesn't fall.
The task, project, or area where perfectionism shows up
The perfectionistic demand
What the inner standard says it has to be. The exact words if you can hear them.
What the demand costs
Time, sleep, things you didn't finish or start, joy, relationships, your body.
What the demand protects
Perfectionism usually guards something — being criticized, exposed, abandoned, ordinary.
"Good enough" — defined in advance
Concrete criteria a friend you trust would agree are reasonable. Written before you start.
The experiment
Do it to the "good enough" standard. Stop on purpose. Don't fix it. Watch what happens.
What I'll do
What I predict will happen if I stop at 'good enough'
What actually happened
Distress before (0–10)
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Distress after (0–10)
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How accurate was my prediction? (0 = totally wrong → 10 = exactly right)
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