Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
Hello, my name is Noreen.
I’m a recovering perfectionist and I struggle with the dark side of perfectionism every single day.
Trust me friends....this blog is written from a place of hard-learned lessons.
My perfectionism was once the enemy of my productivity, but no more!
Ask yourself these tough questions to find out if you are a perfectionist ...
- Do you avoid failure at all costs?
- What about feelings of unworthiness?
- How about low self-esteem?
- Do you base your worth on what you accomplish?
- Are you highly critical of yourself and/or others?
- Do you have a problem with starting or finishing projects?
- Are you afraid of trying new things or taking risks?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, perfectionism may be a challenge for you too.
What is Perfectionism?
Perfectionism is a deep need to appear flawless and a wrong belief or way of thinking that perfection is possible.
If taken too far, perfectionism can express itself as obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, substance abuse, chronic stress, and workaholism.
These extreme expressions of perfectionism are not a healthy way to live.
Perfectionism is NOT the new black.
Why Does Perfectionism Derail Productivity?
Having an impossibly high standard of “perfect” makes it almost impossible to get anything done.
That being said, striving for excellence (not perfection) is a good thing. Wanting things to be well done and polished is perfectly fine.
This excellence mindset is far more balanced and attainable than a perfectionist mindset.
Let’s just agree that the goal of reaching perfection is unattainable and can become toxic to ourselves and others.
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
One of the high costs of perfectionism is to your productivity at home and at work.
Productivity isn't about how much you get done but rather what you get done.
Completing your most meaningful and important work is critical to increasing the time you spend with family and friends, enjoying your hobbies or working on your passion project.
Defeating perfectionism and improving your productivity will give you the freedom to live your best life, whatever that means to you.
If your mind is set on perfection, you may not start projects or if you do start them, you don't finish.
Being afraid to fail or believing your work is never quite good enough, can paralyze you from completing it.
As you can see, perfectionism is debilitating and inhibits healthy progress on your goals and tasks.
Perfectionism really is the enemy to your productivity.
You Can Overcome Perfectionism and Boost Your Productivity
There are ways you can combat and overcome your perfectionist tendencies!
Trust me, it is a counterproductive mindset that is worth letting go of.
Stop striving for perfect (it doesn’t exist) and focus on working towards getting your most important tasks or projects done instead.
Read the following points and allow the 2-3 that resonate with you to really sink in.
- Strive for excellence, not perfection.
- Come up with a “good enough” plan.
- Adopt an excellence mindset as opposed to a perfection mindset.
- Break down important goals and tasks into small time blocks.
- Schedule time in your calendar to complete your tasks and stick to it.
- Learn to fail forward instead of seeing failure as a death blow.
- Avoid looking for faults in yourself and others. We all have them and it's okay.
- Vulnerability is the door to walk through to build true connections. Most people are less critical of you than you think.
- Bite your tongue when a critical comment or thought pops into your head. It serves no one to speak harshly.
- Not every decision requires your full attention - delegate to others and let it go.
- Focus on what you are deeply grateful and thankful for.
- Realize that most people think about you way less than you think they do.
- Stay in the present moment so fear and worry of the future doesn’t take over and you spiral downwards.
- Be flexible - don’t let your self-discipline turn into a compulsion.
- Don’t over-deliver when you don't have to.
- Remember that you are more than what you produce. You are human and are worthy of living abundantly and with great joy.
Take one step and then another.....
The key to overcome your perfectionism is to just take the first step on the journey.
Be content with what you accomplish, even when it's not perfect.
Take small steps everyday and this will make a huge impact on how productive you are.
Let go of your deep-seated fear of failing. These are lessons and good for you in the long run.
You only truly fail if you never start or if you start and take yourself out of the game before you cross the finish line.
Contact Me!
Feel free to reach out to me below if you are ready to crush your perfectionism and increase your productivity!
I know exactly what you are dealing with.
Additional Resources
Here are some additional resources you might find helpful:
https://organizemyspacecalgary.com/organizing-obstacles/
https://organizemyspacecalgary.com/being-an-organized-person/
Take good care!
Find your freedom.
Live your life.
Noreen