How Perfectionism Is Ruining Your Productivity

What is perfect? Many people consider perfectionism a positive attribute, but it can have negative effects on your life. 

Here are some ways to not let perfectionism ruin your productivity.

What is perfectionism?

It is often defined in two different ways: A) As the pursuit of excellence in all things or B) As an unreasonable desire to avoid any mistake or failure. The latter definition would be more accurate in terms of how it affects your life. The search for excellence is a positive characteristic.

It’s what people who have an Olympic gold medal in their sport have been striving for their entire lives. It’s what you strive for when you’re trying to be the best at your job or the best at having a clean house. But perfectionism is not simply a pursuit of excellence; it’s also an unreasonable desire to avoid any mistake or failure.

For some people, this might mean they must get 100 percent on every test they take, do perfect squats with perfect form, and never make mistakes when they paint. For others, it might mean that they need to never make mistakes in public – like spilling something on themselves or breaking down in tears during work.

How can you tell if you’re a perfectionist?

One way you can tell if you’re a perfectionist is by the amount of time you spend thinking about doing something. Perfectionists have a hard time getting started on tasks because they are so focused on how they plan to do them and what could go wrong. In order to avoid failure, many perfectionists don’t try new things because they’re afraid that they won’t do well.

They also tend to procrastinate on tasks that require a lot of focus or creativity because they’re concerned with how others will judge them if their work doesn’t meet standards.

The negative effects of perfectionism

The detrimental effects of perfectionism are pervasive. It can result in procrastination, low self-esteem, and anxiety. 

People with the obsessive need for perfection make themselves feel inadequate when they can’t reach it or when they make a mistake. Often time people who are perfectionists want to avoid any mistakes at all costs. But avoiding mistakes is not possible because using trial and error is what leads to discoveries and innovation.

Those who suffer from this desire for perfection will often find themselves in an endless cycle of trying to reach it and then falling short because there is no such thing as perfect. This cycle will lead to procrastination and a lack of productivity. For example, someone with a fear of making mistakes may put off tasks that would take longer because they don’t want to risk not being perfect on the project. They may also be less likely to try new things for fear of messing up and failing. 

How to stop being a perfectionist

There are many positives to being a perfectionist. For example, you may be an excellent employee or a great student. You might have a lot of self-discipline and work hard to achieve your goals–but at the expense of your happiness. The problem is that when you’re a perfectionist, nothing will ever be good enough. It’s impossible for anything to have ever have achieved the perfect level of greatness in your eyes.

To stop being a perfectionist altogether might be a stretch, but there are ways to keep it from being destructive in your life.

Here are some things you can try:

– Take time for yourself each day

– Take care of your mental health by spending time with friends and family

– Try not to compare yourself to others.

Ultimately, perfectionism is a negative attribute. It can cause you to become a perfectionist, and it can prevent you from trying new things. If you find yourself doing any of the following things.

Take a step back and see if this is a sign that you are too hard on yourself:

– You spend hours going over work that doesn’t need to be as long as it is 

– You procrastinate because you think no matter what you do will never be perfect

– You have an unhealthy obsession with being right or accurate

– You always have to be in control

Some people think of being a perfectionist as being better than not doing anything at all, but this isn’t true. The best way to combat this is to set goals for yourself and then try your best to achieve them. If your goal is just to get something done, just get it done instead of spending hours trying perfection. Admit that nobody is perfect and that there will never be a time when something has been made perfectly.

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