Perfection is critical for doctors, accountants, aviators, and engineers — professions in which mistakes can be fatal. But even in these fields, when you constantly strive for perfection, it becomes a problem.
Often, good really is enough; spending that final 20 percent won’t yield a better outcome. Perfectionism limits your success and enjoyment of life.
Perfectionists link their identity to accomplishments, continuously seeking affirmation that they’re good enough. Otherwise, they feel like imposters and failures — depressed and insecure. They avoid taking risks. They can’t take rejection. They’ll put their heads down, study, practice, take lessons, and get advanced degrees with honors. They pass the CPA exam, but don’t become partners. They try out for a Broadway show and give up after one rejection. The list goes on.
What’s the new strategy for success for women in engineering?
What’s great about perfectionists is that they care about doing things well and want to be productive. Key synonyms for “productive” include effective, industrious, and practical.
As a perfectionist, I see two other possible synonyms that some might equate with productive: profitable, focused on the bottom line, and gratifying, focused on the process.
But therein lies the conflict. Perfectionists strive to achieve or exceed standards. They often work too slowly, missing the big picture or pushing themselves too hard. In contrast, focusing on the process means better results through the creation of a supportive environment.
Both quantity and quality are critical. Even perfectionists must learn to complete only 75 percent of some tasks and not spend the extra effort to achieve 100 percent.
In his 2016 book “Originals,” Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant says the trade-off between quantity and quality is false. Research shows that new ideas increase quality.
However, many people fail to generate new ideas because they’re too focused on perfection. In an article in The New York Times Magazine by writer Adam Davidson, “Welcome to the Failure Age!” Davidson said, “We’re now in the age of constant invention, which begets constant failure. Innovation’s lifespan has never been shorter; most new products last just a few years or less. To harness this new age of failure, we have to bounce back from mistakes quickly.”
This new era offers an opportunity for perfectionists to expand upon their desire to always achieve high standards and become more like that world class athlete who accepts that losing is part of the game. To keep one’s confidence high in this fast-paced world, one needs to build the muscles of discernment about what is good enough and the habit of determining and celebrating satisfaction, even the small wins.
For more resources on overcoming perfectionism, you can join my upcoming live event “Mastering the Balance Between Perfection and Progress” where I will share strategies on how to differentiate between perfection and “good enough” along with how to build the habit of satisfaction to advance your career success with less stress and more joy.
You can also explore articles on my blog, including several around how to manage perfectionism during the holiday season.
Kathryn Mayer’s live event, “Mastering the Balance Between Perfection and Progress,” takes place on Thursday, Jan. 9, 10-11 a.m. CT. The session is free for SWE members. Register today to reserve your spot!
