Can Being a Perfectionist Drive Waste?

Perfectionists have a hard time designating decisions as unimportant. They like to be in control of everything. Why? Because imperfections bother them more than they do other people. If something goes wrong, perfectionists might feel explosive frustration or a nagging sense of irritation that’s hard to ignore, and they don’t want to take that risk.

Sometimes, perfectionists are so accustomed to micromanaging that it doesn’t even occur to them that any decision is unimportant. They’re blind to the constant involvement. They habitually and automatically classify everything as worthy of their full effort.

Perfectionists must find a balance between trying to be perfect and being productive:

• Make a decision and trust your judgement.

• Overthinking, rethinking and reconsidering decisions reduces your productivity.

• Productivity isn’t about getting more done. It’s about what you get done.

• Being a perfectionist is not a bad thing. Some aspects of your life may require perfection to succeed. Find the balance!

• Always being a perfectionist drives “Waste”.

• Perfectionists can drive unexpected costs.

• Find the balance between being a high achiever and perfectionist.

Decision fatigue can be intense when trying to control everything inside and outside of your professional career. A perfectionist can learn to love giving up control over some choices if they pay attention to how good it feels to be relieved of the decision-making burden. Start small and work towards building delegation habits.