3 Ways Perfectionism Is Causing You To Procrastinate
I’ve always been a major procrastinator, and I’ve even hated myself for it at times. We all know the feeling of having a week to complete a dreaded assignment only to rush to do it the night before.
But what about the times when there is no deadline, only the expectations you set for yourself?
We all have aspirations buried inside of us waiting to be explored. But sometimes even our dreams aren’t exempt from procrastination. Aren’t we supposed to be willing to work day and night right away to make our dreams actualize?
The truth is, not everyone can devote themselves to a new venture without some resistance at first. The biggest culprit is the ugly monster called perfectionism. I’m going to tell you three ways perfectionism is causing you to procrastinate.
1. You obsess over the little things.
Putting off a project because you think it’s not planned to perfection in your head is a dream killer. Sure, revising it over and over again may make you more prepared. But the tough truth is that you have to take action to actually get anywhere.
Spoiler alert: It will NEVER be perfect.
Stop waiting until the idea incubates enough, and just get started. You can take problems as they come and revise along the way. I know it’s tough to break out of that cycle of telling yourself it’s still not good enough. But once you do, the floodgates will open, and you’ll be over the first roadblock.
2. You don’t trust yourself.
There’s a reason people say that confidence is key. Without it, you’re like a chef cooking dinner with the oven turned off. Everything you do will come out underbaked, all because you don’t have that fiery confidence.
You won’t automatically be the most sure or skilled person, especially if the task is new to you. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get started. Part of the journey is honing your skills, and you can’t do that without practicing the craft at hand.
So, keep a positive mindset and believe that you have all the potential you need to be successful. Avoiding working on a project because you don’t trust yourself is a surefire way to never gain momentum.
3. You fear failure.
If you’re procrastinating on a passion project, then you most likely have a fear of failure. No one likes to fail at anything, but failure is inevitable. Trying to avoid it may save you from short-term disappointment but not long-term regret.
Encountering many small failures during the process of a task is NORMAL. Persevering and learning to use setbacks as a catalyst for your growth is a great skill every successful entrepreneur has learned to use. Having a positive perspective will do wonders for your lifestyle and career.
Conclusion
Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from achieving your goals, especially not the pesky thoughts inside your head. No, you aren’t lazy or incompetent.
Being a perfectionist isn’t all bad, but never let it block you from progress.
Sometimes we all need a little push to get started. I know I sure do. Step out of that comfort zone and start doing what you want to do. Remember to stay positive and always look for ways to grow and be better.