A Survival Guide for Perfectionists

Kavya Thathsarani

Think about it, most of us walked into 2025 armed with a list of resolutions, a pretty vision board, and the belief that this would finally be our year. Fast forward to now, and that list is just existing as wall art. If you’ve achieved more than half your goals... YAYYY, gold star for you.

But if you haven’t? It’s okay; you’re not alone, and you’re not behind in life. This one’s for the perfectionists who are low-key crushed by their own expectations, the dreamers who can’t seem to start, and the rest of us who have been “meaning to do it” for months (or years).

Here’s how to get out of that loop by actually doing something that makes you go, “Finally, a productive day!”

Start with a Plan That Feels Like You

Motivation is fleeting...one day it’s there, and the next day it’s gone like your favourite show after season one. If you only work when you “feel like it,” you’ll spend most of the time binge-watching a Netflix series or doom-scrolling on TikTok and calling it “rest.” The truth is, your ability to get things done has to live separately from your emotions. For this, ask yourself: When I look back at 2025, what’s one story I want to tell? What do I really want to achieve before this year ends? What kind of lifestyle do I actually want to live? Once you’ve got your answers, make a plan. Think of it as a roadmap for your next three months. Break them into small, doable steps, and most importantly, show up even if you don’t feel like it. You’ll eventually find yourself in a better place when you keep moving forward.

The Rule of Three

You feel overstimulated and easily overwhelmed when you try to do everything at once. Instead, split your life into three categories. Say, career/studies, health/self-care, and personal life. Make a to-do list for each (like drinking enough water, moving your body, breathing exercises, and having three meals as healthy/self-care). Next, pick one from each bucket. Do those three things, and by the end of the day, boom: you’ve had a productive day!

Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be “read 50 pages” or “run a marathon.” It could be replying to your emails, going for a 15-minute walk, or calling that friend. As long as it enriches your life, even a little, it counts.

Stop Tying Your Self-Worth to Productivity

You’re not pathetic just because you couldn’t tick boxes off your list. You’re not a failure because you froze under the weight of your own expectations. You’re a human being, not a robot. When there are a million tabs open in your brain, your nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode, and it’s no wonder you can’t function at your best in this state.

For this, try building habits that actually stick. Consistency and habits go hand in hand, with habits thriving on consistency. The thing about habits is that they are basically loops. Cue →Behaviour → Reward. You feel hungry (cue), you eat (behaviour), you feel satisfied (reward). The brain remembers the reward and repeats it. So, if you  want a new habit to stick, like reading before bed or even exercising in the evening, pair it with a cue you already have and reward yourself for showing up. And remember, once you start something, you’re way more likely to finish it. So, in other words, just beginning is half the battle won.

Remember: if you’re in the middle of a burnout, this isn’t your green light...rest comes first. But if you’re ready to push forward, start small. Tomorrow doesn’t magically fix itself. So, if you start today, even the tiniest step will move you closer to where you want to be.

Your last three months of 2025 don’t need to be all about grinding and having no fun. They just need to be yours...so add things that make you feel alive and happy, whether it’s watching sunsets more often, baking a cake for no reason, or even feeding the stray cats. Stop waiting for the perfect mood, perfect plan, or perfect timing. Do something, just anything, that makes your life richer. By December, you’ll be proud you didn’t let the year slip away.