Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. It can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work as it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and slow you down. So how you can harness the positives of your perfectionism while mitigating the negatives? What practices can you adopt to keep your perfectionism in check?

How to manage your perfectionism

A lot of perfectionist tendencies are rooted in fear and insecurity

Many perfectionists worry that if they let go of their [meticulousness and conscientiousness], it will hurt their performance and standing. And so they cling to their perfectionism even when it’s counterproductive.

Psychological Causes

“Ask yourself: Am I using my time wisely? Am I being productive?” focusing on “maximizing the impact” of your work.You’re going to be “less perfect about some things, so you can concentrate on what’s important.”

1) See the big picture

Managing your perfectionism also requires you to calibrate your standards.Ask always for feedback from others on your work to see if it is good enough from their perspective and adjust your own standards.“What you’re saying doesn’t have to be the final word, it just has to contribute something useful.”

2) Adjust your standards

"The pursuit of perfection is a bit like wandering on an aimless journey, You keep walking and walking, but you’re not sure that you’re getting any closer to your destination”

Create a checklist for each task to know when it will be done independently of your satisfaction level.“You’re following a process with discrete and measurable goals,”. Once you’ve ticked off the items on your list, “you’re done.”

3) Create a checklist

Many perfectionists have <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/02/how-to-stop-obsessing-over-your-mistakes">a proclivity to ruminate</a> — repetitively mulling over a thought or problem without ever coming to a resolution. “It’s related to anxiety,”People who ruminate tend to be “less forgiving of themselves.” It’s unhealthy, and it’s unproductive.Identify your triggers. “learn to recognize when you’re ruminating,”Don't Trust your first reaction, Try hard to get perspective and give yourself time and distance before taking action.Think positive, <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/04/how-perfectionists-can-get-out-of-their-own-way">Think about the successes you’ve had</a> in the past, reminding you of meaningful outcomes you've accomplished without being 100% certain.

4) Break the cycle of rumination

Talk to someone about your tendencies, and be honest and open. Make it clear that you want to hear how you come across.  “Say, ‘I may get defensive, but I promise to think about what you say.’” And be sure to make good on that pledge.

5) Get perspective

Undertake a weekly review, in which you reflect on your progress.Try to get some psychological distance and ask yourself: “Was there anything I avoided this week due to fear of making mistakes? Were there any instances where my perfectionism was not worth it? Were there any times this week when I took action, even when I felt uncertain, and ended up moving things forward?The goal is to learn where perfectionism has a positive impact and where does not."you’re not fundamentally “changing course”; rather, you’re, “redirecting your personality.”

6) Monitor your process

<ol><li>Learn to recognize the point of diminishing returns when you’re aiming to complete a task perfectly. Sometimes just getting it done is a worthy goal.</li><li>Reflect on your progress. Identify examples of when you successfully moderated your perfectionist tendencies.</li><li>Calibrate your standards. Oftentimes what you’re writing or saying doesn’t have to be the final word, it just has to contribute something useful.</li></ol>

<ol><li>Mistake ruminating for problem-solving. When your mind is twisting and turning, seek out distractions to break the cycle.</li><li>Toil in pursuit of an amorphous goal of perfection. Create a checklist that ensures you follow a process with measurable targets.</li><li>Go it alone. Ask others — a trusted colleague, friend, or mentor — for perspective and support.</li></ol>

Don't

I've always been struggling with being less productive and less accomplished until I've discovered that I actually suffer from perfectionism. This article had helped me at that time to start thinking differently and getting things done appropriately !

Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work. On the other, it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and sometimes annoy your colleagues. How can you harness the positives of your perfectionism while mitigating the negatives? Start by recognizing the opportunity cost of your behavior. Sure, you can spend an additional five hours making that PowerPoint presentation perfect, but is that a productive use of your time? Will it make a material difference to your boss or client? Focus on maximizing the impact of your effort so you can concentrate on what’s important. Similarly, learn to calibrate your standards. Of course, as a perfectionist you’re never going to aim for merely adequate — nor should you. But the next time you find yourself nitpicking niggling details, ask a trusted colleague for feedback. You may discover that your first draft is already good enough.

How to Manage Your Perfectionism

In total, “Dance First, Think Later” features 618 rules of life to live by. Here are 10 important quotes from this book.

The Keys To A Happy And Fulfilled Life.

Life is like one big Mardi Gras. But instead of showing your boobs, show people your brain, and if they like what they see, you’ll have more beads than you know what to do with.

Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too can be great.

You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

The three sentences that will get you through life: Number one, “Cover for me.”Number two, “Oh, good idea, boss.”Number three, “It was like that when I got here.”

Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering

If you can’t convince them, confuse them.

It’s possible to own too much. A man with one watch knows what time it is; a man with two watches is never quite sure

Before doing someone a favor, make sure that he isn’t a madman.

You can discover what your enemy gears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.

If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate you are bound to wake somebody up.

We often get confused about our life’s values.  Books like these keep us centered. ❤️

Timeless in their wisdom, thought-provoking in their message, surprising in their truth and memorable in their originality, the right words can give direction, inspiration, and sometimes a tangible boost onto the right path. For example, Steve Jobs once read Stay hungry Stay foolish on the back cover of The Whole Earth Catalog, and those four words came to guide his life. Created by Kathryn and Ross Petras, connoisseurs of quotes, whose books and calendars have over 56 million copies in print, "Dance First. Think Later." is a collection of the greatest life wisdom from an unexpected group of speakers, doers, and thinkers. There are 618 rules to live byfunny, sly, declarative, thoughtful, offhanded, clever, and always profound: Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Roald Dahl If everything is under control, you are going too slow. Mario Andretti Never make a credit decision on a beach.Victor J. Boschini Dance first. Think later. Its the natural order.Samuel Beckett The only time to eat diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook. Julia Child What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight; build it anyway. Mother Teresa And: Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.Oscar Wilde

"Dance First. Think Later"

“Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralising

The moment you consciously or unconsciously become a perfectionist, you may just be running down the road of dissatisfaction. Because, a lot of times you will be disappointed!Doing the best you can, with what you have in the opportunity available is what Excellence is about. It is a more realistic approachPerfection on the other hand is a goal that is synonymous to chasing shadows.

Perfectionism Is Like Chasing Shadows

Perfectionists always want to have EVERYTHING they need before they start. But how do you start anything if you’re always looking for that perfect situation every time? Sometimes, all you have is enough to take the first move. Many successful professionals entrepreneurs will tell you this too. Take action now!

Perfectionism Never Lets You Start Many Things

Beware! Sometimes in the pursuit of attaining perfection, you incur more costs such as spending more money, engaging more resources and entertaining more delay.In fact, perfectionism leads to PROCRASTINATION! Could perfectionism be frustrating the completion of your objectives, goals and tasks? Why don’t you strive for excellence instead, with SMART goals - Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic and within a Time frame. The emphasis on REALISTIC!

Perfectionism Delays Accomplishment Of Goals

Not good enough…..not good enough…..not good enough…..not yet! These words can easily spiral you down the path of perfection. Guess what? It is exhausting, and kicks frustration in!This is why you should define your goals with clear metrics to highlight when you’ve hit your acceptable standard. Again, be realistic. Don’t trade your energy for impossible outcomes.

Perfectionism Wears You Out

Ever tried leading a team and telling team members what they have done is never good enough? You won’t get a better team or better outcomes. What you will get is tension and demotivation.A better approach is to motivate the team with a goal of excellence. That way they are inspired to put their very best in delivering exceptionally and improving at the same time.

Perfectionism Intimidates And Causes Tension

The origin of the word ‘excel’ is Latin and it means ‘out’ or ‘beyond’. It naturally represents forward movement, progression and motion. It is definitely both process and result oriented in its nature and that’s what makes it a powerful word.Let me remind you of this quote by Harriet Braiker, “striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing”.

But Excellence Is Motivating And Yields Better Results

In my experience of business, coaching and leading teams, I find it dangerous to focus on perfectionism. In these ideas, I have collated some thoughts and some tips I’ve learnt from others on the topic of perfectionism!

Business

Why Perfectionism is Dangerous

If you've played with toys in the last 40 years chances are you've interacted with at least one LEGO brick, probably more like hundreds. Behind these seemingly simple building blocks lies a powerful brand with a System of Play painstakingly perfected over nearly a century, with lessons to be learned about both personal and corporate productivity and the true meaning of perfection.

A Simple Little Brick

When Ole Kirk Christiansen founded his toy company in the 1930s, he coined its name by combining the Danish words "leg godt" meaning "play well". And thus "LEGO" was born. The very name signals a higher level of quality, and The LEGO Group's products have lived up to that name.

More Than A Name

The LEGO Group's motto in Danish is "Det bedste er ikke for godt". This has two similar but slightly different English translations, one more figurative and one more literal. Below will be each translation and my exploration as to how it can relate to productivity and perfection.

More Than A Motto

...is the more well-known "loose" translation of The LEGO Group's motto. This phrase can be very motivating when striving for excellence. It causes one to ask such questions as:• Is my (product, pitch, manuscript) the best that it can be?• What can I do to make it the best?• Am I performing at my best, and if not what do I need to change?

"Only The Best Is Good Enough"

While "Only the best is good enough" can push us further, the picture of stark perfectionism it paints is daunting, especially when we can't find the time, resources or motivation to reach the level of perfection we desire. We are human after all, and none of us are perfect.

Two Sides To Perfection

...is the more literal word-for-word translation of "Det bedste er ikke for godt". Working with the mindset that "the best" or perfection are accessible goals without ruthlessly racing toward them can lift a tremendous amount of pressure off a workload. Rather than asking "Is this perfect?" one can ask questions like:• Is this the best I can do with what I have?• Does this need to be absolutely perfect?• Is my standard for perfection unreasonably high?Questions like these can open the door for more honest evaluations of our own abilities and perceptions.

"The Best Is Not Too Good"

Realizing that we cannot be totally perfect is important, but we must also be wary that we don't lower our expectations too far and fall into mediocrity. There is a balance to be struck between the pursuit of perfection and burnout prevention.

Avoiding Apathy

"The best is not too good" can also work like a "You can do it!" to remind us that even if we aren't perfect, we should still give it the best we can.

Quality and heart go hand-in-hand. Consumers are smart. They can usually spot a quality product, and they know if it's made with love or just thrown together. LEGO is a family company, but it's also one of the biggest brands in the world. You don't get there by being mediocre (Only best is good enough) but you also can't get there by blindly rushing towards what may seem perfect at the time or is simply mainstream (The best is not too good).

Det bedste er ikke for godt.

Inspiration

The LEGO Brick, Perfectionism and Productivity

This is all about the distance between perfection and imperfection. Every man in the universe wants to be perfect but is it really important?

Imperfection

Perfection doesn't have a significant definition. Everyone has their own principles and beliefs regarding this. The more people read about a topic, the more people worked on a particular topic, the more people spent time with a topic, it changed their views on perfection. Simply experience plays a huge role in it. More working hours equals more experience, more experience equals more knowledge (Not only working on a particular subject gives you knowledge and experience. This is wrong. Your observation and understanding skills on that topic also plays an important role here).

What is Perfection - 

In our universe, no one is perfect. Everyone has flaws and mistakes in their own right. But if someone calls himself or herself perfect, it is his or her ego that drives him/her forward. You don't necessarily have to be perfect every time. It's good to be imperfect. But the main thing is to accept your mistakes and work on them for better improvement. And this is what is called self-cultivation. Revolutionary movement for your own self.

Nobody Is Perfect - 

A man is afraid to face reality and hence he covered himself in the darkest room. This is not good at all. Because he is not perfect, he is trying to hide from reality. But the truth is you can't hide from reality, it will find a way to touch you from anywhere. You can't defeat and change nature and its policies. Because you are also a part of this nature. If you want to change nature, just change yourself. Update your perspective on it. And that's it.

Look for Higher Level, not Perfection 

“ Face the reality, admit your mistakes, and work on them for better improvement. This is what will take you to a higher level...”

How to Manage Your Perfectionism

"Dance First. Think Later"

Why Perfectionism is Dangerous

The LEGO Brick, Perfectionism and Productivity

Bhola Mandal

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