Is Perfectionism Killing Your Time?
Is Perfectionism Killing Your Time?
How to avoid the perfectionism trap and put your time into what really matters.
When I started this newsletter, I wasted a lot of time aiming for perfection. After some attempts to leave it behind, I finally had one text ready to review a week before publishing. Then, I fell into a never-ending review process.
If you struggle with perfectionism you're not alone. I’ve been using different tips to deal with situations where it holds me back. Those are the ones that prevent me from wasting my time.
✅ Define What Is Good Enough
⏰ Add Time Constraints
🎯 Keep the Scope Short
📢 Make a Public Commitment
🫸 Work in Small Blocks
👀 Watch Yourself
✅ Define What Is Good Enough
Perfectionism is always bad! For years I believed that it could be good in some circumstances. Don't make the same mistake. Perfectionism only steals your time from important things. Changing the mindset will make you stop finding excuses to justify this behavior.
To figure out what’s good enough, gather examples of what’s not okay, what’s good, and what’s optimal. This will change depending on what you’re working on, giving you a sense of when to stop.
⏰ Add Time Constraints
You will always use all the time you have. Define a time box for your project, its milestones and tasks. If you know how much time you want to invest in an initiative, it will make you think twice before aiming for perfection.
🎯 Keep the Scope Short
I'm just going to add these little things here...
Have you ever found yourself lost in thousands of changes because of this thought? Stay true to your scope to avoid being carried away for enthusiasm led by perfectionism.
Every time you change or increase scope, you're moving back. When something new comes to your mind, take notes and return to your plan. Give your mind a break, and then reflect on the impact of your new ideas in the scope.
📢 Make a Public Commitment
Public commitments increase your motivation to get things done. The audience doesn't need to be large. A single person, like a direct report, your leader, or a peer, also works. Choose a person or group that will cheer you up and be happy to see you succeed.
🫸 Work in Small Blocks
When you break your time, it's easier to get out of the perfectionism loop in case you fail to keep yourself out of it. For example, I usually write for around two hours in four blocks with small breaks. Each break I reflect on whether I'm progressing or losing myself in perfectionism. Then, I decide whether to continue or move to the next step.
👀 Watch Yourself
Avoiding perfectionism gets easier as you increase your toolbox, but it is a work that never ends. Pay extra attention when you’re starting something new. Those are the worst moments for perfectionists, you always want to start perfect.
What are your tools for avoiding perfectionism? Do you have something different from my list? Please share! It would be very helpful.
🔖 Related Content You Might Like
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. In this text, Gregor shares how setting deadlines can be beneficial when done correctly. It helps avoiding perfectionism and focusing on simplifying solutions.
That's all for today! 🎉
I like getting feedback and connecting with people. Feel free to reach out—I'd love to hear from you! You are also welcome to suggest topics for future posts.
See you next time 👋