LIFESTYLE & TRAVEL

How Perfectionism Could Be Holding You Back

For many successful career professionals, perfect often feels like the best way to prove you’re good at what you do and combat imposter syndrome. However, trying to be perfect all the time can do more harm than good. One of the biggest downfalls to perfectionism is burnout and stress. According to a study conducted by the University of Northern Colorado’s Social Research Lab, 93% of people struggle with perfectionism and 54% say it has negative impacts on their work. Perfectionism can show up in many ways, like holding yourself to unrealistic expectations, anxiety, burnout, and it can even limit growth and innovation. In that same study, 58% of people reported feeling overwhelmed more often due to perfectionist tenancies. So, let’s talk through some ways perfectionism might be showing up in your career.

Signs Perfectionism May Be Affecting Your Career

• Over-editing emails, presentations or projects before sharing them with colleagues or leadership, resulting in longer workdays or inefficiencies.
• Struggling with finishing tasks because they never feel good enough.
• Avoiding asking questions out of fear of looking unprepared.
• Feeling constant pressure to prove yourself or never feeling satisfied with your accomplishments.

If any of those resonated, you’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. Overcoming perfectionism doesn’t mean lowering your standards; it means taking a moment to redefine what success means for you. Once you define success, you can set realistic expectations before beginning your next task or project. When you take the time to focus on progress rather than perfection, you give yourself the ability to learn in real time. Also, try asking for feedback on your projects or performance before it’s finished. Knowing where you stand, having realistic expectations, and hearing feedback can all promote growth and development in your journey. This also aligns with building confidence and finding joy in the process — not solely the finished product.

Take a moment to reflect on where perfectionism may be showing up and holding you back. This week choose a single task where you want to intentionally prioritize completing it with it being perfect. Recognizing small steps can lead to big outcomes and habit shifts. Remember, success or a strong career isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being adaptable, resilient, and willing to learn and grow.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2022/04/03/perfectionism-is-bad-for-your-career-3-most-important-things-to-know/

https://vitaleandco.com/perfectionism-research/#:~:text=93%25%20of%20people%20struggle%20with,over%20past%20mistakes%20at%20work