When your patients can’t talk to you, it is hard to not seek perfection. Rebecca Knight offers ideas of how to let go of a penchant for perfectionism. It is a double-edged sword, she writes. It can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work. Or, it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and slow you down.
Many perfectionists have a proclivity to ruminate — repetitively mulling over a thought or problem without ever coming to a resolution. . . . It’s unhealthy, and it’s unproductive.
Source: Harvard Business Review, April 29, 2019. Link. Learn where perfectionism has a positive impact and where it does not, says Matt Plummer. Knight shares these Principles to Remember:
Do
- Learn to recognize the point of diminishing returns when you’re aiming to complete a task perfectly. Sometimes just getting it done is a worthy goal.
- Reflect on your progress. Identify examples of when you successfully moderated your perfectionist tendencies.
- Calibrate your standards. Oftentimes what you’re writing or saying doesn’t have to be the final word, it just has to contribute something useful.
Don’t
- Mistake ruminating for problem solving. When your mind is twisting and turning, seek out distractions to break the cycle.
- Toil in pursuit of an amorphous goal of perfection. Create a checklist that ensures you follow a process with measurable targets.
- Go it alone. Ask others — a trusted colleague, friend, or mentor — for perspective and support.
Also see: Search Results for: perfectionist, Animal Health Digest. Link.
By becoming aware of the costs of perfectionism, and how it affects your productivity, well-being, and relationships (both at work and at home), you can start to mitigate this destructive habit.