Perfectionism is the enemy of progress.

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress, and this is one of the best quotes about the concept of productivity because perfectionism ruins productivity. Many people have the trait of perfectionism as they are proud of being perfectionists, but sometimes they struggle because they have multiple negative aspects; some have psychological disorders like OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and anxiety. Perfectionism is the result of living unrealistic expectations and ideal life. 

So it comes with anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction, anger, and disappointment symptoms. Being a perfectionist in every task wastes time; if you pay too much attention to unnecessary things and a minimal point, you may be trapped and flustered. Perfectionism may steal your happiness, peace of your mind, your self-confidence.

Difference between a high achiever and a perfectionist.

There is a massive difference between a high achiever and a perfectionist, and it’s vital to know the difference between a high achiever and a perfectionist. Being a high achiever means you are attempting for excellence, but at the same time, you are happy with your excellence. You are making mistakes and learning something better. 

The emphasis of perfectionism is less forgiving; perfectionists criticize themselves for everything that seems lacking, depriving them of the pride and satisfaction from everything they do well. One of the most significant issues that perfectionists encounter is the concern that if they stop striving for perfection, they will become poor achievers and abandon their goals.

It’s good to have perfectionism in some ways, but the extreme of anything is always painful. It’s an enemy of your progress. If you write an email in 30 minutes but assume it will not be perfect and spend one hour on it, it’s a waste of time and makes your progress slow.

You must take steps to overcome your habit of perfectionism and make your life easy. So how to get rid of the trap of perfectionism? 

Here are a few valuable suggestions and important things you should remember because they will help you in your journey.

• Beware of your abilities.

First, think calmly about what kind of abilities you have; take a paper and write down what you can do and what kind of things you can do, and it’s better to understand yourself. It will be helpful to cope with your perfectionism issues.

• Be positive

Perfectionism is frequently motivated by constantly negative ideas. Because we desire perfection, we frequently focus on the flaws in our efforts or ourselves. It’s essential, however, that we make an effort to acknowledge the positive aspects as well. Challenge yourself to think of three things for each aspect you’re not entirely satisfied 

• Take little steps

Perfectionism sets high achieving unexpected goals with no flexibility of learning. Most of the time, these goals are unrealistic and hard on yourself. Leave a place to make mistakes and forgive your mistakes. Please don’t take it rigidly and demand perfectionism in every aspect. 

Try to take little steps with fewer goals and work devotedly for them. Treat yourself when you are completing yours. Take little breaks for some productive things in starting and later arrange your work schedule, eventually succeeding.

• Handle criticism

When someone criticizes you for your abilities, take some lessons and start your defense, and don’t react to everything until you prove yourself with your actions. It will help you to loosen your perfectionism and give you a margin to make mistakes and improve yourself. 

Your so little performances can become helpful stepping stones on the path to excellence by providing you with valuable ideas on how to enhance your performance. It’s acceptable to point out to others (and yourself) that mistakes are a great way to learn if the criticism you’re receiving is harsh.

• Set time limit

Set tasks a time limit, and make sure you stick to them. Establish a reasonable time limit for the current task and stick to it to avoid wasting time trying to complete it perfectly. Avoid putting off things. Instead of concentrating on the result, concentrate on the task. You might prevent overworking if you can divide your task into smaller, more manageable chunks to do one step at a time.

• Concept of Productivity

Reduced productivity due to perfectionism could harm your job and self-esteem. Remember that while aiming for greatness is wonderful, precaution is necessary to prevent this. Despite having good intentions, you will end up underproductive and struggling at work if you wait until something is perfect before finishing it.

You will begin to notice other things you previously overlooked if you don’t strive for perfection. As a result, you’ll access fresh perspectives and creative ideas. Additionally, it will lessen tension and increase the enjoyment of your work.

• Low the pressure

Keep in mind that you are the one who puts the most pressure on yourself. By reducing the irrational standards you hold yourself to, you can learn to love and accept yourself. You’re doing great as long as you’re still driven and giving it your all. Although “perfect” doesn’t exist, we can feel proud of trying our best.

• Set meaningful goals

 Perfectionists hold themselves to unreasonable standards, and perfectionists sometimes establish unachievable goals. Setting more attainable and Realistic goals is one technique to overcome perfectionism. When our objectives are attainable and, healthily, demanding, we will experience significantly less stress and greater confidence in our capacity to accomplish them.

Instead of concentrating on doing everything perfectly, attempt to discover purpose in what you do. It doesn’t matter if something isn’t done perfectly as long as it makes us happy and gives us meaning. Finding meaning along the journey might lead to greater fulfillment.

• Improve self-confidence

Being a perfectionist and perfection in every aspect of your life and task brings stress and negativity and directly attacks self-esteem. When you are always trying to do your best, you stick to little things to make it look perfect. It wastes your time and loses your self-confidence. 

If you depend your sense of value upon how effectively you carry out different roles in your life, your self-esteem may suffer when hopes and goals are not achieved. Instead of being critical of yourself, try to find strategies to increase your self-esteem, such as seeking social support, taking care of yourself, and helping those less fortunate.

• Counseling

Finally, counseling can ease our perfectionism anxiety. People who struggle with perfectionism can change the way they think with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Therapy can also better understand the deeper causes of the desire for perfection. Counseling may be a practical choice to provide you with even more techniques to fight perfectionism if you discover that you’re still having trouble.

Conclusion

Perfectionism may seem like a healthy trait, but perfectionism is the enemy of progress. It is the biggest hurdle to productivity. If you are facing problems in your work and social life due to perfectionism, then you should start working on yourself, like you should pay attention to changing work behavior.