Does Perfectionism harm your Productivity?

In the pursuit of excellence, we are glorifying perfectionism in every aspect of our lives. However, being perfect does not always bring success to you. There is a clear line between attention to detail and getting lost in details. However, aren’t we taught and trained to be perfect throughout our education and career? Well, it is not. Trying to frame yourself with unrealistic definitions/expectations will give you only counterproductive results.

You will be stuck!

The devil is in the detail, and you may be stuck there. One of the drawbacks of Perfectionism is the fact that it can also lead to procrastination. Waiting for the perfect moment to share your idea in a meeting, back and forth having discussions by yourself, contemplating possible outcomes of your potential actions to achieve the best outcome. All roads lead to Rome; losing sight of baseline (or goal post) and where you are heading. Once you realize your current status and progress, it might be late for everything

You may overdeliver than expected

Let’s talk about the hypothetical case of the hypothetical “Ray”. Ray has unrealistically high standards. In order to fulfill “the expectations” of his employer or himself and meet his standards, he tends to work long hours through sleepless nights which may ultimately lead to burnout. It doesn’t matter for him what is expected of him because he self-criticizes himself evaluates his performance in every situation and recollects every event that has transpired. This, undoubtedly, is clear self-sabotage and does not help him fulfill his expectations and duties. On the contrary, this phenomenon undermines him and prevents him from meeting his deadlines, which then subsequently leads to a feeling of constant guilt and regret that eventually results in him identifying himself as a “failure”.

Growth would come from your failure

In one of the interviews, they asked Edison “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” he replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Growth is not linear, there are lots of ups and downs. Your current failure will be your future success. That’s why failure is a good sign which will contribute to your growth.

To wrap up, seeing failure as a way to progress is key. Be Smart, Focus on the bigger picture and keep up until you arrive at your destination.