Are You a Perfectionist ?

My client looked confused. “I’m not perfect,” she said, “So how could I be a perfectionist?”

Perfectionism is widely misunderstood. To some, it’s a badge of honor, certifying that they do things right. To others, it’s a negative term for fussy overachievers. But there’s a lot more to perfectionism than you might guess. To help you define perfectionism, and determine whether you are a perfectionist, see if you recognize any of these problems closely associated with it.

Do you procrastinate? While people who procrastinate often think of themselves as lazy, this is not even close to the truth. We often procrastinate because we set the bar too high for ourselves, thinking we have to do things really well or get things done all at once. This makes us feel anxious and overwhelmed when we approach a task, so we end up putting it off.

Do you have trouble making decisions? If you believe you there is a
“right” decision, one without any downsides, you have an impossible task. You’ll weigh your options over and over in our mind, looking for something that isn’t there. There is no such thing as a perfect choice, and if you need one to decide, you’ll fail to take action.

Are you socially anxious? Do you feel self-conscious meeting new people or speaking up in groups? When you think you must sound interesting and smart, appear confident, and you’re responsible for any awkward silences, you’ve set the bar too high for yourself. You’ll avoid leading meetings and initiating conversations with people you don’t know well.

Do you work long hours, tethered to your to-do list? Perfectionism can cause us to believe we cannot rest or relax until we get everything done.

Are you an underachiever? Perfectionist will often avoid things they are not good at, thus avoid taking the risks necessary to go after what they really want.

Over-achieving, underachieving, procrastinating, social anxiety, and indecisiveness are all hallmarks of perfectionism. Still not sure if you qualify. Take my perfectionism quiz. (P.S. There is NO perfect score 😉)