Some of us may see perfectionism as having high standards that push us to achieve our best. However, high achievers will set goals and work towards these goals being satisfied, they tend to have a feeling that they have achieved what they wanted and have done a good job. Perfectionism never allows for a "good enough" evaluation and a sense of failure is common to the perfectionist. In fact, the focus of the perfectionist is more likely to be that of failure and short falls then of successes. In our modern world of constant change where flexibility is a necessity, ridged  perfectionism is a handicap.

Most of us know that it is likely, as human beings, that we will make mistakes, and when we do, we are able to overcome them; on the other hand the perfectionist is unforgiving of themselves in such cases, seeing it as failure, devaluing themselves, and feeling like a disappointment to others. Perfectionism increases ones stress by pushing us to be better and try harder, this can ultimately lead to anxiety and depression. Perfectionism affects how one thinks, behaves and feels.

The first step in dealing with perfectionism is identifying the trait. Do you find yourself being highly critical of things you are and do, and of others? Do you continually spot tiny mistakes and imperfections in yourself and others and then obsess about these? Do you focus in on these imperfections, being judgmental and hard on yourself and on others? Do you have trouble meeting your own standard? Have others told you your standards are too high? If you have answered "yes" to the above questions there is a high likelihood you are a perfectionist.

In order to overcome perfectionism a person has to understand what it is to think realistically and begin to set reasonable goals for themselves. Goals need to be within a persons reach. There needs to be an understanding that nobody is perfect and that trying your best can be good enough. Making mistakes is human and it is impossible to be liked by everybody all of the time.

Perfectionists need to learn to see beyond themselves, they need to seek to understand another's point of view or ask how others see things. In seeing the bigger picture they need to learn to ignore some of the "little things" that so often bog them down.

Compromise needs to be learned by the perfectionist, that goals can be shifted or made more realistic. It is understandable that this concept of compromise will be anxiety provoking for them. However, fears need to be faced and this can be done in a consistent and manageable manner, and can be done with the help of a counsellor. In a way, it is about exposing yourself to your fear little by little.

Procrastination is a trait of the perfectionist - unachievable goals and the fear of failure leaves a person immobilised. Greater productivity will be an end result of decreased perfectionism in a person's life. This is not to say that quantity increases and quality suffers, rather, a higher quality output is achieved and less time is wasted in fear and indecision.

As the perfectionist begins to make changes in their lives so they need to reward themselves for the successes they are experiencing . Plan these as each new goal is set. There are also intangible rewards for no longer aspiring to be perfect; these can be: greater self esteem, being kinder to self, less stress and better time management, with a sense a achieving one's goals.

References:
http://stress.about.com/od/understandingstress/a/perfectionist_2.htm
http://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/Perfectionism.pdf