In dental school, one of my instructors told me I was a Perfectionist. I thanked him.
He did not mean it as a compliment.
We have all heard of the perfectionist. This person can be extreme, critical and unyielding. However, this is not all bad. Most actors, athletes and musicians are all self-proclaimed perfectionists.
The key is…you have to do it right.
I believe I have perfected the technique!
First, you must determine if you are a perfectionist. Take this quick test.
1) Have you been told you are too competitive? Do you always have to win?
2) Do you regularly sacrifice your physical or mental health to ‘get the job done?’
3) Do others tell you that you are never satisfied? Are you hard to please?
4) Do you fear failure? Do you find yourself procrastinating on a project until you can figure out how to do it just right?
5) Do you resist delegating or sharing job duties because no one can do it just like you?
I was all of these at one time or another. Especially #2.
The truth of the matter is that being a perfectionist actually stops you from being all that you can be!
Perfectionists procrastinate on projects because they spend so much time figuring out exactly how to do it, instead of diving it and making progress.
Perfectionists never grow and develop because they refuse to delegate and share ideas. They lose the ability to think out of the box because they won’t share their ideas and listen to others.
People do not enjoy being around perfectionists because of their demanding and critical nature.
The perfectionist’s health suffers because they skip meals and sleep. They also push their bodies too far in the attempt to reach their goal. Perfectionist set unrealistic goals, then berate themselves when they fall short.
Perfectionists are anal-retentive.
However, there is help!
The key is to be Passionate not Perfect!
Passionate people set high goals, but plot a strategy to achieve steady progress, and they celebrate tiny victories along the way. Passionate people fail, learn from it, adjust their course, and then try again. Passionate people are fun to be around because they find out what they love, do it, and delegate the other stuff to talented people.
Let’s look at the perfectionist traits from the passionate person’s point of view:
1) Perfect people are too competitive. They always have to win!
Passionate people believe the win-win scenario is the best and are happy as long as the goal is achieved. They celebrate every accomplishment– no matter who is responsible. They don’t have to be the best. They just make sure the best result is achieved.
2) Perfect people sacrifice their physical or mental health to ‘get the job done.’
Passionate people realize their body and mind are their most important assets and protect them by eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest and exercise.
3) Perfectionists are never satisfied.
Passionate people enjoy the process and the journey – not just the destination.
4) Perfectionist fear failure and procrastinate.
Passionate people embrace their mistakes, learn from them and readjust. Passionate people fire then aim…they get the ball rolling and then adjust the course.
5) Perfect people resist delegating or sharing job duties because no one can do it as good as them.
Passionate people learn from others and appreciate their talents. Passionate people build up other people then celebrate their successes.
The lesson here is don’t be perfect – just be passionate!
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