Perfectionism: Friend or Foe?
Dr. Sabrina Schleicher, Tap the Potential
Welcome to a returning guest columnist, psychologist and coach, Dr. Sabrina Schleicher, known as Dr. Sabrina to her clients and workshop participants. We met over at my online community for writers, We Write Books, a place for authors to get support from like-minded people. Dr. Sabrina also runs a community, Tap The Potential, and is here today to share with us about the perils of perfectionism.
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Perfectionism: Friend or Foe?
Sabrina Schleicher, PhD, ACC
Many professionals and business owners experience an on-going love-hate relationship with perfectionism. Perfectionism is one of the big “time wasters” and “energy drainers.”
If you are a perfectionist, you probably believe that perfectionism contributes to your success. There is some truth to that. You may be acknowledged for your work and your willingness to “go the extra mile.” Over the years, your performance evaluations may be sprinkled with adjectives such as “exemplary,” “excellent,” “consistent high quality,” etc. When supervisors, colleagues or clients want something done right, they send the work to you.
Although you may realize that perfectionism is costing you a lot of time, you may be reluctant to let go of your high standards. When you look around, you see lots of “evidence” to support the belief that perfectionism has contributed to your success. And, honestly, how would you know differently? You probably haven’t tried doing work that is “less than perfect” to see how it goes over, at least not on purpose. Time and again, my coaching clients who struggle with perfectionism tell me they realize their standards are so high, that when they actually lower their standards, others still perceive their work as being high quality.
Not surprisingly, many successful professionals and small business owners have capitalized on perfectionism. But then you hit the “brick wall,” getting bogged down in all the work to be done, putting in long hours trying to get it all done and becoming increasingly resentful of demands placed on you. In reality, perfectionism can get you far in life, but it can only get you so far.
How do you know when perfectionism has become a problem for you? Here are some signs:
• Consistently putting in long days at the office or taking work home with you
• Reluctance to delegate tasks, believing no one will do it as well as you
• Feeling increasingly resentful of demands placed on you by others
• Procrastinating to begin projects
• Projects that drag on and on
If you struggle with perfectionism, consider that you’ve probably spent hundreds, maybe even thousands, of hours getting tasks and projects “just right.” That’s time that you could be spending doing something else you love to do.
If you recognize the value of perfectionism in your work, but at the same time, realize that you are spending excessive time working, it’s time to get out of your own way and learn how to work smarter, not harder!
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Dr. Sabrina Schleicher helps her clients identify and eliminate the obstacles standing between where they are now and where they want to be — in life, career and business. Sabrina’s clients experience profound breakthroughs that propel them to the next level.
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