How Perfectionism Affects Career Advancement

Perfectionism in your career might seem like a good thing at first—it drives you to do your best and excel. However, it can be detrimental in the long run. Here’s why: Burnout Risk: Constantly striving for perfection can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. When you never feel like your work is good enough, you’re more likely to experience burnout, negatively affecting your health and productivity. In "Live for a Living" Andy Palmer and I talk about the challenges we had with #burnout. Learn from us. It wasn't healthy. Decreased Productivity: Perfectionists often spend excessive time on tasks trying to make them flawless. This can lead to missed deadlines and reduced overall productivity. Put your pencil down. You did your best. Fear of Failure: The fear of making mistakes can be paralyzing. Perfectionists might avoid taking risks or trying new things because they’re afraid of not doing them perfectly. This stifles creativity and innovation. Impaired Relationships: If you’re overly critical of yourself, you might also be critical of others, which can create a tense and uncomfortable work environment. Lower Job Satisfaction: Perfectionists are often never satisfied with their achievements, always focusing on what could be better rather than celebrating what went well. 🙂 What You Can Do About It: Set Realistic Goals: Aim for excellence, not perfection. Set achievable goals and recognize that it’s okay to have high standards, but they should be realistic. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Embrace Mistakes: View mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures. Understand that errors are part of the growth process. When something goes wrong, take the time to learn from it instead of beating yourself up. Prioritize Tasks: Focus on what truly matters and prioritize your tasks. Not every task requires the same level of effort. Learn to identify which tasks are critical and which ones can be done well enough without excessive scrutiny. Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself. Acknowledge your efforts and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Treat yourself with the same compassion you would offer to a friend. (Why is this one always the hardest?) Seek Feedback: Feedback from others will help you gain a more balanced perspective on your work and help you understand that good enough is often, well, good enough. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Celebrate the improvements you make and understand that continuous improvement is more sustainable and rewarding than chasing an impossible standard. When you have done your best, take wisdom from the Disney movie "Frozen" and Let it Go! #LiveforaLiving #ComfortZone #CareerAdvice #Career #WellBeing #Fulfillment #CareerGuidance #CareerGoals #CareerDevelopment #CareerSuccess #ProfessionalAdvice #LifeLessons #CareerInspiration #CareerGoals #CareerCoaching #CareerStrategy #CareerBooks #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerChange

3 ways perfectionism is road blocking your leadership growth: 👉 You’re hesitating to delegate tasks - limiting your team’s growth. “I can do this faster/better, so I’ll just do it.” “I’ll have to teach them and they might not do it like me.” ⏱️ You’re spending A LOT of time creating “flawless” material/process/presentations - slowing progress or missing opportunities. “I’m working on my proposal for the new product to present to [insert stakeholder] but it’s not ready yet.” (4 weeks later) “The team and I are working on defining the process but we haven’t nailed all the details yet so I don’t feel we’re ready to present it to leadership.” 😰 You’re avoiding feedback - preventing learning that feeds growth. “If I make sure this proposal is flawless, no one can say I don’t know my stuff.” “If I ensure we nail every piece of this new process, no rock left unturned, no one can question the depth of our knowledge or our abilities to execute.” 👋 Guess what? Perfect doesn’t actually exist. So if you’re reading this and saying “Ugh, yes I do this,” please repeat that sentence every day. Embrace your imperfections, and watch your growth take off. #leadershipgrowth #perfectionism #embraceimperfection #growthmindset

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 🔑 Struggling with the grip of perfectionism in your leadership role? 💠 I know it's tough. Striving for perfection can seem like a good thing, but it often ends up causing more stress and stops innovation. It's more than just setting high standards; it's about trying to achieve something that's just not possible, which can really wear you down. If you don't tackle this head-on, it can create a really negative work environment, squash creativity and willingness to take risks, and slow down your team's progress. Perfectionism is a conflict between being highly, even overly responsible, and not having enough time and or resources to accomplish it. It causes the person to try to control. Often the perfectionist believes only they can accomplish the result. 💢 Some neuroscientists suggest humans can be addicted to being right. We hate being proven wrong. It’s rare to be independent of needing to be right in front of others. Here's a few imperfect suggestions: 🧩 Set Aside Perfectionist Time: Have specific times when you focus on getting things just right. This lets you be detailed without it taking over your whole day. 🧩 Think About Why You Want Things Perfect: Perfectionism often comes from deeper feelings about ourselves. Take a moment to really think about why you feel the need to be perfect. There may be an attachment to a story that results in trying to control what you can’t control. Ask, can you control what you can’t control? Be kind and compassionate to yourself when you do this. 🧩 Try a 'Quick Fail, Quick Learn' Approach: Instead of trying to get everything perfect from the start, focus on learning from each step you take. This way, you grow and improve, even if things aren't perfect. By trying these steps, you'll likely start to feel less pressure, see more creativity in your team, and find a better balance in your leadership style. Have you ever been caught in the perfectionism trap? How did you get out of it, and what difference did it make for you? Share in the comments below. ⏬⏬ #BreakFreeFromPerfectionism #LeadershipBalance #ContinuousImprovement #EmbraceGrowth #MindfulLeadership

Perfectionism is procrastination masquerading as quality control. For most of my life, I secretly took pride in being a perfectionist. I thought striving to meet and exceed internal and external expectations was the main reason for my success. But as I've learned over the past 20 years of studying this subject, perfectionism comes at a high cost. Perfectionism is driven by the ego with a simple but all-consuming question: What will people think? Perfectionism is in fact one of the biggest barriers to success. Achieving results requires curiosity, and viewing failures as valuable learning opportunities. Perfectionism kills curiosity by telling us that we have to do everything well; that our mistakes are personal defects. Here are some ways perfectionism is hurting you: 👉 You don't start working on your project until you have the "right amount" of uninterrupted time. 👉 You skip working out altogether because your last meeting ran over and you now only have 20 min instead of the planned 40 min block. 👉 You spend hours trying to perfect a draft and can't share it with your team until it's "presentable". 👉 You are playing with your kids before bed but your mind is fully occupied by re-playing the conversation with your boss earlier that day, trying to determine what she REALLY thinks about you. 👉 You miss out on opportunities because you’re afraid to put anything out in the world that could be criticized. Let go of perfection, and strive for excellence instead. Life this way is freer, better, and more fun! #bestadvice #strategy

Ditch this habit to keep proposaling enjoyable: ❌ Perfectionism Nothing (at work) means more to me than winning, which requires a significant time commitment. However, I also cherish my time beyond work. ⚖ Strike a balance between a flawless and an efficient proposal. Perfectionism's impact on a proposal: ❌ Stifles creativity ❌ Leads to missed deadlines ❌ Imposes unrealistic expectations on the team ❌ Engages in an inefficient process ❌ Often involves procrastination ❌ Inflicts stress, eroding the joy of proposals What can you do without a clear standard for a compelling narrative or when a proposal is strong enough? Consider these tips: ✅ First, focus on the most critical aspects of the proposal – compliance with no material deficiencies. Ensure the introductions, callouts, and strategic messaging are solid and accurate within the narratives. Make sure high-impact sections resonate and have no errors. ✅ Break assignments into small, manageable tasks; complete one before moving to the next and avoid revisiting finished (already reviewed) tasks. ✅ Minimize the frequency of opening and working on a document. ✅ Use time blocking for writing and batch time for proposal management and coordination. ✅ Resources permitting, implement a peer review/QC process to curb the anxiety of never feeling finished. ✅ Accept that no document is flawless. Once compliance and strategy are covered, put your pen down. ✅ Implement a “wheels spinning” approach – if you spin your wheels longer than 15 minutes, stop and collaborate with a peer or contributor. Or move on to another section for the time being to progress the proposal. Finally, remember to be kind to yourself. A comma will be missed within the 100 pages of content. Keep pressing forward. 🌟 What other suggestions would you share? 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 _________ 👉🏼 Ready to elevate your proposal game? Reach out for proposal support from Strategic Creations or personalized proposal training from The Proposaling Pros! 🚀📈 #proposals #proposalmanagement #govcon #proposalwriting #LearnProposalsWithSarah

My perfectionism was killing me. Being “perfect” was how I guarded myself from the anxiety of confronting the secret me who felt “less than” and worried that someone, anyone, EVERYONE would see my carefully concealed flaws. I hid that scaredy-cat 10 year-old version of me from the world. I avoided her at all costs by doing more and achieving more, but it became a toxic treadmill that I was addicted to and just couldn’t get off… 🥵Do well. 🥵Expectations increase. 🥵Do even more. 🥵Rinse and repeat. I finally realized that I was miserable and operating in a constant state of stress. ❌It kept me from taking risks and growing. ❌It kept me stuck in the familiar where I knew I excelled. ❌It kept me from stepping into the next best version of me as an enlightened adult. Can you relate? A couple years back I got really sick of myself. I realized that peace required change, and that meant challenging the thoughts and feelings that made my stomache tie into knots. Examples of my internal conversations: “New things can be messy, give it your best and be proud.” “You’re creating rules in your own head. Remember, they don’t really exist.” “You have tons of historical evidence that you’re extremely capable. Embrace it and BELIEVE it!” “No one is paying that much attention to you. Even if you make a mistake it will probably barely be noticed, and even if it is, it will be quickly forgiven and forgotten.” Has it been easy? Nope. Do I find myself backsliding at times? Yep! It will be a lifelong struggle… but the more I do it, the easier it gets. Practice for progress, not perfection. #perfectionism #mindsetshifts #growthanddevelopment

I used to think I had to be perfect in everything I did. I believed that everything had to be flawless right from the beginning. This way of thinking held me back and hindered my chances of success. But then I had a realization: - Failure is just a normal part of the journey - Imperfections can actually lead to personal growth By accepting my errors and shortcomings, I discovered new opportunities and understood that making progress is more important than chasing perfection. These might be familiar to you too: 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿: Always waiting for the perfect moment to ask for a promotion. 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Not submitting an assignment until it's flawless, even if it means missing the deadline. 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Avoiding the gym because you're not in perfect shape yet. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: Hesitating to start a conversation until you find the perfect words. 𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀: Not starting a painting because you're afraid it won't be a masterpiece. 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱: Delaying cleaning because you can't do it perfectly in one go. 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Avoiding trying new recipes for fear they won't turn out as expected. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮: Spending hours editing photos before posting them online. In the world of entrepreneurship, taking imperfect action can sometimes be the key to moving ahead.

Perfectionism doesn't lead to perfection. Perfectionism actually leads to: - Stagnation - Procrastination - Discouragement Resist the urge to be perfect. Focus on: - Making a simple plan - Executing on it quickly - Getting feedback on it - Adjusting from feedback - Repeating again and again The best way to get to near-perfect is making peace with flaws. Counter-intuitive, but true.

After coaching 100+ high achievers, here's the truth about perfectionism vs. high standards 🎯 One will drain your energy. The other will fuel your success. Let's break it down 👇 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 vs. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 1. 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 • Perfectionism: Sets impossible targets, never "good enough" • High Standards: Aims high but keeps it real 2. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 • Perfectionism: Spirals into self-blame • High Standards: Sees growth opportunities 3. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 • Perfectionism: Can't stop fixing tiny flaws • High Standards: Celebrates wins, then levels up 4. 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 • Perfectionism: Endless tweaks, missed deadlines • High Standards: Ships on time, iterates later 5. 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Perfectionism: Pushed by fear of failure • High Standards: Pulled by vision of excellence 6. 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • Perfectionism: Takes it like a personal attack • High Standards: Filters gold from feedback 7. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 • Perfectionism: "Just one more revision at 2AM" • High Standards: Knows when to call it done 8. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 • Perfectionism: Stuck in analysis paralysis • High Standards: Moves forward confidently 9. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 • Perfectionism: Spreads stress like wildfire • High Standards: Lifts everyone higher 10. 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 • Perfectionism: Never feels "done" • High Standards: Proud but ready for next level The truth? High standards are your rocket fuel. Perfectionism is your anchor. 🚀 Which one describes your current approach? Drop it below 👇 --- ♻️ Share this to help a perfectionist in your network 🔔 Follow Sharon Grossman for more burnout-busting strategies

Perfectionism can be a major hindrance to personal and professional growth for leaders. It can lead to excessive self-criticism, fear of failure, and hesitation to take necessary risks. Here are 10 ways leaders can overcome perfectionism and boost their self-confidence: 1. Set Realistic Goals: Instead of aiming for unattainable perfection, set achievable and specific goals. Break larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks to prevent feeling overwhelmed. 2. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Shift your mindset from seeking flawless outcomes to valuing progress and learning from mistakes. Embrace the idea that mistakes are opportunities for growth. 3. Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend. Accept that everyone makes mistakes and that self-criticism is counterproductive. 4. Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge your accomplishments, regardless of their size. Celebrating milestones boosts your confidence and reinforces positive behavior. 5. Embrace Failure as Learning: View failures as valuable learning experiences rather than as reflections of your worth. Analyze what went wrong, extract lessons, and apply them to future endeavors. 6. Develop a Growth Mindset: Cultivate the belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning. This mindset reduces the fear of failure and encourages continuous improvement. 7. Delegate and Seek Help: Recognize that you don't have to do everything perfectly on your own. Delegate tasks to team members and seek assistance when needed. Collaboration can lead to better outcomes. 8. Prioritize and Manage Time: Set clear priorities and allocate time wisely. Perfectionism often leads to spending excessive time on minor details, which can hinder progress on more important tasks. 9. Practice Self-Reflection: Regularly assess your strengths, accomplishments, and areas for improvement. This self-awareness can help you build a more accurate and positive self-image. 10. Seek Feedback: Request feedback from peers, mentors, or team members to gain different perspectives on your performance. Constructive feedback can help you identify areas to focus on without feeling overwhelmed by perfectionism. Remember that overcoming perfectionism is a gradual process. Start by incorporating one or two of these strategies into your routine and gradually integrate more as you become more comfortable. Building self-confidence takes time, but by implementing these techniques, you can develop a healthier and more productive leadership style. #Leaders #Leadership #Business #Ceo #Perfectionism