Perfectionism: Help or Hindrance
In the business world, it’s easy to find perfectionists. Are you one? Perfectionism can help us have a critical eye, keep us driven and motivated to work harder, but if you end up changing direction time and again, questioning your choices, or stressing about small details, perfectionism will be more of a hindrance then a help. Many negative things can stem from this, the most prominent being wasted resources of both time and money. At the end of the day the outcome doesn’t generally justify the effort. Below are some suggestions to liberate yourself from the net of perfectionism when you find yourself ensnared.
Make a Decision and Stick to it
Believe in the decisions you make! One trap of perfectionism is to second-guess yourself, which can be a never-ending spiral. So when you make a decision, trust yourself and stick to it.
Trus t your Employees
When you unveil your plan to your employees they will inevitably have opinions. Listen to what they have to say! If they tell you it’s a good idea, trust them. This will stop you from falling into the questioning game. Also, their skills are your resources, so trust them to execute their part of the plan well. You hired them because you trust their stills, right? And lastly, before getting settled into your plan make sure you…
Have a Plan B
Sometimes things go wrong, so develop a backup plan. This will help you stay more flexible mentally and keep you from being held to the constraints of your first plan. The more flexible you are, the more you will be able to handle the “non-perfect” things that happen throughout your plan and your day.
Perfectionism could have a favorable effect as it may make you endeavor to be your best, but that pressure can lead to stress and wasted time. Try to stay flexible and strive for your personal best. If you find yourself caught up in perfectionism, the steps I’ve outlined above should help. You can also read this article to learn how to avoid perfectionism pitfalls all together.