Note: This article is based on the work of Darius Foroux, in which he discusses the disadvantages of perfectionism and ways to use it to increase productivity.
I'm not a perfectionist, which is at least what I try to tell myself, and I bet you do too. People who don't admit it are really the worst kind of people. But if you think of yourself as a perfectionist, you're just a masked procrastinator, not much different from a lazy person who doesn't do anything at all.
If you don't think so, then let me give you an exact definition of a perfectionist: someone who waits until the perfect moment to finish their task, who makes no mistakes at all, and who constantly needs more time. But in the end, results and outcomes—which are crucial—are what matter in life and in business. And if you're fixated on perfection, you could one day see the fruits of your labor, but you won't know the precise time or cost ahead of time.
Specifically, research shows that perfectionism is closely linked to depression and low self-esteem. As American comedian Jack Kirby says, “Perfectionists are devils.”
Is the obsession with perfection worth the price we pay for it and the trouble we spend on it?
I found that perfectionism is just another form of procrastination. When you constantly worry about making mistakes, doubt takes over your mind and fills it, causing you to be confused and indecisive when making decisions. There are two types of perfectionists:
1. The first type is the one who never begins to pursue their goals
People of this type have the desire to achieve something. But they start to doubt themselves immediately, and they think that they can't achieve it, so they don't start striving for it at all.
2. The second type is the one who starts striving towards their goals. However, they set the bar very high
These people set a goal for themselves and work very hard to achieve it, but the goals they set are so big and difficult to achieve that they always fail and let themselves down.
Individuals of both of the above types can develop anxiety, worry, depression, and type A behavior, which we try to avoid to some extent. Researcher and psychology professor Joachim Stöber and psychologist Jutta Joormann, who studied anxiety, procrastination, and perfectionism, wrote, “The combination of worrying about mistakes and procrastination may be an essential and important factor in the persistence of anxiety; On the other hand, it may add to the above or cause more feelings of fear and threat because the problems that were solvable in the beginning will accumulate in this way, leading to a huge amount of problems that may eventually become unsolvable.”
This feeling of helplessness is our biggest mistake and dilemma. This is because we simply give up when we feel powerless. So I advise you to look at the studies done on learned helplessness.
However, being a perfectionist isn't always a bad thing. Some studies indicate that the obsession with perfection is linked to greater achievements. But that is not our case here. It is certain that you will achieve greater achievements when you set higher goals for yourself and have higher standards. Being a perfectionist can undoubtedly be a good thing. But achieving goals is not the only thing we have to do in our lives, as we all know; It is more about how we achieve our goals and ambitions.
How to overcome the negative side of procrastination and obsession with perfection
We have already talked about the relationship between procrastination and obsession with perfection and the reasons that make it bad. As for the solution to this problem, I found an interesting study by the writer and professor of psychology, Gordon L. Flett, and his colleagues in which they talk about the role of learned resourcefulness in perfectionism and suggest that its role may be a mediator in perfectionism. So I began to search for and study my acquired resourcefulness.
I will mention what I found in an article by the American writer Michael Rosenbaum: “Acquired resourcefulness refers to the behavioral repertoire necessary for both regressive and restorative self-control, and this repertoire includes self-regulation of emotional and cognitive responses during hard and stressful situations using problem-solving skills and deferring satisfaction and instant gratification in favor of more significant future rewards,” he said.
Learned resourcefulness and the acquired ability to act in difficult situations are the skills you need to stop destroying yourself.
Finding balance
A perfectionist is the opposite of a lazy person, who doesn't care about much, takes “good enough” as his motto, and has no ambition at all, but this behavior isn't conducive to human development at all.
Laziness and inaction are states or attitudes of lack of interest, but it is imperative that you take care of your affairs if you want to make important things happen in your life and achieve goals. A middle ground must be found. Your tendency to be a perfectionist may drive you and motivate you to achieve. But at the same time, you have the composure of a slacker, so combine the above with learned resourcefulness.
In conclusion
You have to do great things, like perfectionists, but not pay much attention and care to your goals, like lazy people and laggards.
Finally, you have to combine it all with resourcefulness. Goals can work well and pay off. But it can also be unproductive and produce harmful and undesirable results. So you have to rely on systems and use your problem-solving skills to put things right when things go wrong and get messy. As you resort to adapting or solving the problem that you face instead of feeling guilty and bad towards yourself when you make a mistake or let yourself down, here is what I advise you to do:
- Avoid the favorite phrase of perfectionists, which is, “This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”
- Also avoid the favorite phrase of the lazy, which is, “I don't care about that.”
- Say instead, “I will take care of it and solve the problem.”
So I don't have to ask you about the next challenge in your life because I am sure that you will take over after reading this article.
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