Perfectionism has put so much pressure on people these days that it is affecting us. How many times have you critisized your self for not being perfect enough? Cooking is not perfect? Not thin enough? Not beautiful enough?
Worst is we bring perfectionsm into our work which ruins productivity and performance. Let us take a look the toxic effects of perfectionism that ruins our productivity
Six Disadvantages of Perfectionism that is Toxic for your Productivity
Receeding productivity
As mentioned in the beginning, the idea of perfect work often ends up an individual having spent so much time on the particular task. This obsession causes the person to neglect other tasks that should have been prioritised. Prioritisation do not exist in the life of perfectionist because their main priority is being perfect.
Procrastination
Other disadvantages of perfectionism is procrastination. This is a common trait among the perfectionist as they always wait for the perfect time, perfect resources and other perfect criterias to execute their tasks. While waiting for the hypothetical perfect time, they like to put off the task; and this leads to procrastination. Continuous procrastination makes a task more complicated, and with time they start to get scared of the task.
Affecting health
A perfectionist often puts so much thought on the tasks before stepping in. Although, it is a good habit but over-thinking on a simple task hurt both body and mind.
Additionally, perfectionist tends to avoid taking break because they are afraid that they will lose focus. What they fail to understand is, continious working drains their energy and also the work quality.
Discrediting themselves
Perfectionists tend to discredit themselves although they have achieved their goals. Why? Because they audit their own work and look for weakness. This habit is toxic for the perfectionsts and should be avoided for better mental health.
Lack of vision
A perfectionist often lacks the position to see the bigger picture because they are busy focusing on minute details of the tasks. They are busy meeting their target, and they miss out on other opportunities. This leads them to miss out on the potential of alternative ways to reach the goal. As they cannot see the bigger picture, the entire work becomes very mundane, and they often get tired of the work they have chosen to do.
Strained relationships with others
Perfectionst often puts strain on relationships with others because they can make life difficult for people around them. They also avoid certain situations because they fear not being able to perform well enough in them. In another word, the perfectionist is also looking for perfect trait in a relationship which is detrimental to their social life.
How to overcome it?
It is very important to overcome this irrational perfectionism. You need to be able to let go and avoid holding on to things. Being perfect is good as you will create quality work but you must always know that perfect work do not exist. Just like our fingers which are different in sizes, people have different perception when it comes to perfectionism. You need to embrace this fact, ‘What is perfect to you, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s perfect to others.’
Also, you need to be able to accept that making mistakes is alright as it will produce better work the next time you embark on a similar tasks or projects. If you still unable to let go the perfection in you, set a deadline for your tasks or projects and ensure that you complete the work and hand over the work without looking back.
Good Luck!
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