Perfectionists

A recent article posted on the Yahoo front page caught my attention. After reading only a few lines of Breaking the perfection habit by Penelope Trunk, I quickly realized this article was probably going to hit home to some degree.

While I don't agree with every assertion that she makes, and didn't care for her general disdain of those that "suffer" from perfectionism, there are a couple of points that I not only acquiesce to, but I find eerily relevant to my own life. Here are a few of her opinions on perfectionists, along with my perspective:

"Perfectionists procrastinate because they're scared of not being perfect."

I definitely suffer from the procrastination bug, but I disagree with the hypothesis that it is driven by the fear of being less than perfect. I would attribute it more to just plain-old being lazy. Yes, perfectionists can be lazy.

"Perfectionists are hypercritical to the point that they can't support people around them."

Perfectionism and being hypercritical are basically synonymous, but I don't necessarily think that they preclude the ability to work in a team setting.

"Perfectionists can't finish a project because they can always think of a way to improve it."

While I most certainly fall victim to this frequently (I can't tell you how many projects I've started and not finished), I think "can't" is probably a bit too strong of a word here. Maybe I'm not a true perfectionist.

"Perfectionists are phony, because no one's perfect and they can't handle showing that in themselves."

What!?!? I'm a phony because I often like things to be the best they can be? I guess I'd rather be a "phony" than celebrate mediocrity.

"You get more done if you don't sweat the details."

True to a certain extent, but the other side of the coin reveals that even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components. Or as the old saying goes, "The devil is in the details."

"You do better work if you aren't worried about perfection."

A bit of an over-simplified deduction, but the point is still somewhat relevant. I guess that statement doesn't preclude worrying about being accurate, which is how I initially perceived its meaning. So maybe it's not as much of an oversimplification as I thought.

"Working the longest hours doesn't mean you're doing the best work."

Very true.

If you consider yourself a perfectionist, I'd definitely recommend giving Penelope's article a read.