Perfectionism and Procrastination: How Perfectionism is Ruining Your Productivity

In this article, we’re talking about perfectionism and procrastination, and how perfectionism is ruining your productivity.

We all know how impossible it can be to feel productive in today’s society — there are endless demands, endless distractions, and often too little time. But what if we told you perfection is actually stopping you from getting things done?

It’s true: perfection can be the enemy of productivity. We’ve all had the experience of wanting something in our lives or careers to be perfect — whether it’s a project for work or an event we’re planning for friends — but then finding ourselves stuck at the starting line because we think it needs to be perfect before anything else can happen.

So why is this? Well, perfectionism tends to come from a place of fear: fear of failure or criticism, fear of not doing something well enough. And while striving for excellence is commendable, it should never take precedence over taking action.

Women are particularly prone to perfectionism and procrastination, and it’s no wonder — we’ve been socialized since childhood to be perfect in every way. We’re taught that making mistakes is a sign of failure, not growth. We’re expected to look perfect, act perfectly, and perform perfectly in our professional and personal lives.

It’s like we have an invisible bar set up above us at all times–and if we don’t reach it or exceed it constantly then there must be something wrong with us! Unfortunately, this can lead to paralysis when faced with big tasks or decisions: after all, who wants the pressure of having to do everything flawlessly?

But here’s the thing: life isn’t about being perfect. It’s about learning from our mistakes and taking chances even when we might fail. Life is messy; let yourself make some messes too!

The key is understanding that nothing needs to be perfect before you can start working on it. In fact, some experts say that trying to make something perfect right off the bat actually takes longer and wastes more energy than simply beginning with what you have. Think about how much faster you would have progressed by now if you’d allowed yourself some wiggle room when tackling projects in the past?

The point here isn’t that you should accept mediocrity — far from it! It’s just about recognizing that perfection isn’t always necessary for success; sometimes good enough is good enough. So don’t let perfectionism stand in your way: leave perfection behind and keep moving forward, motivated by progress instead of stuck in a pool of anxiety generated by striving for ‘perfect’.

This doesn’t mean sacrificing quality or effort; instead, focus on using only as much time as needed to do a good job instead of obsessing over every detail until ‘perfection’ is achieved. Moreover, creating realistic goals and milestones for yourself can help motivate yourself without having an unrealistic ideal hanging over your head. That way, even when progress feels slow and steady – projects will still get done!

So don’t let perfectionism and procrastination become an obstacle between you and your goals—understand that nothing has to be absolutely perfect before getting things done. With hard work and determination, you’ll eventually reach success—no matter how small the steps are along the way!

Need a boost overcoming perfectionism and procrastination? Try Todoist Ladies Get Paid Founder Claire Wasserman’s favorite productivity app, and download our Free Daily Planning and Time Management Worksheet.

We may earn a small commission from things you purchase through our links. We would never promote anything we wouldn’t use ourselves.