Get on top of perfectionism
Perfectionism Is Procrastination Masquerading As Quality Control?
An eye-catching statement, but no; there's more to perfectionism than suggested by this sentence.
We are warned about the perils of many psychological issues. Some are a bit dubious, while others definitely warrant our attention. Perfectionism is one of the crucial well-being topics.
In this article:
Synonym for perfectionism
Browse the many alternative words for perfection and you're unlikely to progress your understanding of this phenomenon. This is because perfectionism has several components (1):
Setting and pursuing very challenging standards
Chasing these standards despite the problem that occur
Evaluating self-worth primarily on attaining these targets.
In essence, perfectionism is judging yourself by how well you attain extreme standards, no matter the cost. Doesn't sound ideal right!?
Madalaptive perfectionism
Perfectionism can be divided into two concepts (2):
Perfectionist striving: Aiming for excellent performance
Perfectionist concern: Fear of making mistakes, being negatively evaluated, and focusing on failure to reach self-imposed standards
Perfectionist concern is also known as maladaptive perfectionism. Various thinking patterns and behaviours help maintain a cycle of maladaptive perfectionism (more on this below).
Healthy and unhealthy perfectionism are compared in the diagram below.
Perfectionism and anxiety
Anxiety often accompanies perfectionism. There are specific thinking patterns associated with the latter. Some examples include:
Worrying whether you will reach performance standards
Fearing failure and/or making mistakes (or feeling like a failure)
Worrying about the opinions of others. (e.g., fear of disappointing people)
Getting to grips with this anxiety is essential to dealing with perfectionism.
Is perfectionism related to OCD?
Perfectionism is common in people diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (3). Perfectionism may be part of a personality style that focuses on orderliness, detail, and control over one's environment (3).
Perfectionism may actually contribute to the development and continuation of many psychological problems (e.g., eating disorders, depression) (4). We use the term 'transdiagnostic' for psychological issues that contribute to multiple mental health problems.
Perfectionism is the enemy of progress
Procrastination is one of the many behaviours that occur with perfectionism. Other responses include:
Repeated checking
Spending more time than necessary on tasks
Being overly structured and organised (e.g., list-making)
Seeking reassurance from others.
These behaviours keep perfectionism going and create additional problems. For example, procrastination leads to reduced productivity. People tend to misinterpret the resulting performance reductions as 'proof' of inferiority.
Taming perfectionism
Perfectionism has the potential to severely damage a person's well-being. Fortunately, there are lots of things we can do about this problem. This section provides a brief overview of available strategies.
Awareness and monitoring
Perfectionism interferes with many areas of life. Therefore, we need to identify these areas and how it manifests as thinking and behaviour.
Next, it's essential to record perfectionism in daily life. I often use a 'perfectionism record' with clients. We use this diary to record instances of perfectionism broken down into thoughts, feelings, and responses that occur. This record helps build an understanding of perfectionism patterns.
Thinking
We then address perfectionism thinking. Key strategies include:
Mentally 'unhooking' from thoughts using mindfulness strategies
The use of specific mindsets (e.g., compassion) to weaken the perfectionist voice.
Behaviour
Earlier, we listed some behaviours commonly linked to perfectionism. Modifying and eliminating these behaviours is key to progress. Many perfectionism-maintaining behaviours are not 'good' or 'bad', but are simply overused strategies. Take reassurance-seeking. Asking someone "Am I doing ok?" from time to time is unlikely to cause problems. However, seeking several people daily for reassurance is likely to fuel stress, tension and self-doubt.
Summary
Perfectionism is a common issue behind several psychological, behavioural, and mental health problems. Thankfully, we have many tools for tackling perfectionism. Good self-help resources are available (e.g., Overcoming Perfectionism, by Roz Shafran). But, professional help may benefit those with long-standing and/or severe perfectionism.
Perfectionism quotes
Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough. Julia Cameron
Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be our best. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth; it's a shield. Brene Brown
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help with perfectionism. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
References
(1) Shafran, R. (2010). Overcoming Perfectionism 2nd Edition: A self-help guide using scientifically supported cognitive behavioural techniques (Overcoming Books). Little, Brown Book Group.
(2) Stoeber, J. (2012). Perfectionism and performance. In: Murphy, S. M. (Ed). Oxford Handbook of Sport and Performance Psychology. Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 294-306.
(3) Pinto, A. et al. (2017). Perfectionism in obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders: What should treating clinicians know? Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 12, 102-108. doi: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2017.01.001
(4) Egan, S. J. et al. (2011). Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic process: A clinical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(2), 203-212. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.009
