Teresia's Blog

Does perfectionism get in your way of productivity?

Check out my article that I wrote this past week for the Coaches Corner column for the Vancouver Province newspaper. I welcome your comments about times when you have experienced the same issue and how you dealt with it.”

Q: I just secured a new contract with a company I have been working on for years. I am very excited about the opportunity but I feel a huge degree of pressure to do a good job and I cannot get myself started on the project. If I do not get into action soon, I will loose the contract. Help!

A: It sounds like you may be suffering from a common case of perfectionism. Perfectionism is often mistakenly seen in our society as desirable or even necessary for success. However, recent studies have shown that perfectionistic attitudes actually interfere with success. Being a perfectionist is one of the biggest causes of procrastination. It may be time to look at your situation honestly and notice what your patterns are. To get yourself into action first realize perfection is an illusion that is unattainable. The next step is to challenge the self-defeating thoughts and behaviours that fuel perfectionism. Some of the following strategies may help:

• Take baby steps. Set a realistic reachable goal, as you reach a goal, set your next goal one level beyond your present level of accomplishment.
• Experiment with your standards for success. Choose any activity and instead of aiming for 100 percent, try for 90 percent, 80 percent, or even 60 percent success. This will help you to realize that success can still be experienced when you are not perfect.
• Use feelings of anxiety and depression as opportunities to ask yourself, “Have I set up impossible expectations for myself in this situation?”
• Confront the fears that may be behind your perfectionism by asking yourself, “What am I afraid of? What is the worst thing that could happen?”
• Avoid all-or-none thinking in relation to your goals. Decide which tasks you want to give high priority to and on the less important tasks, choose to put forth less effort.
• Look at your belief around failing. Recognize that many positive things can only be learned by making mistakes.

And remember at this point you don’t have to get it right; you just have to get going!

If procrastination is getting in your way be sure to join us for special call this month. See details below.

Special Bonus Call – October 21st
Are you ready to go for what you
REALLY want?

I invite you to join my team coach partner Cheryl Cran and I
on October 21st at 2:00pm (pacific) for a powerful dialogue on
“Cutting through the BS and Getting to the Abundant YES!“

Register now to get your spot on the breakthrough call!