Perfectionism can be a fatal flaw, especially when it comes to CrossFit. You might compare yourself to others; be constantly dissatisfied with your performance; obsess over your position on the whiteboard; overthink a technical lift; or be afraid to fail or appear weak.

To overcome your inner perfectionist, start by focusing on doing you best. Sometimes we have a bad day, when we don’t perform well. Realize that it’s impossible to maintain a peak level of performance every single day. You may not PR or get a gold star every workout. Each day brings an opportunity for us to do our best, but realize there is a process that includes highs and lows.

Focus on long term goals. When we make goals to lift heavier, lose weight, or learn a new skill, we ignore the steps it takes to accomplish those goals. We often expect instant transformation and forget that there is no such thing as an overnight success.

Sometimes we just need to relax and have fun. As a perfectionist, you may get caught up in mastering every detail of a snatch or clean. Realize that there are times to focus on technique and then there are times to relax and just lift.

Lastly, take a step back and look at how far you’ve come. Progress might seem slow, but look at where you started and celebrate what you’ve accomplished.

By Conner Edelbrock