The Pitfalls of Perfectionism in the Workplace: Overcoming Self-Sabotage
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Perfectionism is a fairly common trait that can have both positive and negative consequences. On one hand, perfectionists are often highly motivated and driven to achieve excellence. They may set high standards for themselves and work hard to meet them. This can lead to success and validation in the workplace, which only encourages this approach.
However, perfectionism can also have a number of negative consequences. Perfectionists may be so focused on doing things perfectly that they procrastinate, become overwhelmed, avoid challenges that could help them learn and grow, and experience increased stress. They may also be overly critical of themselves and others, leading to excessive blame of themselves and others when things don’t work out, which can decrease self esteem and damage relationships . They also tend to exhaust themselves over time by taking on too much, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and burnout over the course of their career. All of these challenges ultimately reduce productivity.
In the workplace, perfectionism can lead to self-sabotage. This means that perfectionists may sabotage their own success by setting unrealistic goals, avoiding challenges and learning opportunities, or being overly critical of their work. This can decrease productivity, prevent them from reaching their full potential, diminish their self-esteem, create stress and anxiety, and can ultimately lead to burnout.
As a “recovering perfectionist” myself, it took time to see the negative consequences of my perfectionism at both work and home. As time went on, the negative impacts became more clear, and I began to examine the role of perfectionism in my life. On that journey, I have learned about the light and dark sides of perfectionism, the impacts on my career, and the ways of improving perfectionism to decrease stress and increase growth for myself and my clients. We built Recess to help recovering perfectionists like us achieve amazing results while leaving perfectionism behind by building Flow State.
For perfectionism to be so common, there must be a number of advantages. So, what are the advantages of perfectionism in the workplace?
Because perfectionists set high standards for themselves and drive themselves to meet them, many perfectionists produce higher quality products and attain better results. As positive results increase, so do expectations from themselves and others, further driving perfectionist standards. In the workplace, perfectionists are often rewarded with ideal projects, promotions, and raises.
Driving ourselves forward and achieving results increases the likelihood of receiving positive feedback from others, especially superiors at work, which is something most perfectionists crave. This encourages a continued push for results that will ensure this positive feedback. In the workplace perfectionists receive favor from their superiors and are often praised in public and touted as an example for others.
By expecting the best, perfectionists are working to avoid the pain of failure. By avoiding making mistakes or setting a low bar, they are working to decrease the likelihood they won’t achieve their goal or they’ll do something wrong. At work, they are avoiding negative feedback on performance reviews or being demoted.
In working for perfect outcomes, perfectionists are working to avoid the pain of criticism from others. If they avoid making mistakes, or don’t allow others to see their flaws or disappoint others, they decrease the likelihood of being criticized or receiving negative feedback. In the workplace, they often are rated highly by their peers, subordinates, and superiors, and score highly on performance reviews.
While there may be some advantages to perfectionism, especially in the short term, there are also consequences. Recess’ innovative app helps users to achieve this same peak performance without the downsides and pain of perfectionism. Here are some of the pitfalls of perfectionism in the workplace:
Perfectionists often procrastinate because they are afraid of making mistakes, decreasing their productivity. They may wait until the last minute to start a project, or they may give up on a project altogether because they feel it is not perfect. At work, this may mean missed deadlines or failed initiatives, reducing individual and team productivity.
Because perfectionists are afraid of making mistakes, they avoid risks, which means they often lose opportunities for learning and growth. In the workplace, they may avoid projects that teach them new skills or help them to grow.
Perfectionists often feel overwhelmed by their work. They may take on too much, set too high of expectations, or they may focus on the details so much that they lose sight of the big picture. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout.
Because perfectionists have such high standards, they often criticize themselves on the way to their goal, or criticize their own results. This leads to decreased self esteem over time. At work, perfectionists are often comparing themselves to others and end up feeling like they are not good enough.
Perfectionists are often overly critical of others, just like themselves. They may set unrealistic standards for others, and they may be quick to point out mistakes. This can damage relationships and make it difficult to work effectively with others. At work, people avoid working with them, or make it difficult to collaborate on projects.
Because perfectionists are avoiding mistakes, it can prevent them from taking risks and being creative. Often, perfectionists will continue the same way of doing things rather than looking for more effective new ways to improve. This can lead to decreased productivity and innovation in the workplace.
Many perfectionists can lose sight of their vision and long term goals as they attempt to focus on too many details and avoiding mistakes. This leads to a decreased feelings of meaning and purpose. At work, this can lead to decreased productivity and motivation, and even lead to depression, anxiety, and burnout.
If you are a perfectionist, there are a number of things you can do to overcome self-sabotage and achieve success in the workplace. By utilizing Recess’ technology, you can utilize bilateral stimulation to diminish perfectionism. Here are a few tips for shifting away from perfectionism and self-sabotage:
Perfectionists often set unrealistic goals for themselves. This can lead to disappointment and frustration. Instead, set goals that are challenging but achievable.
Notice times where you are comparing yourself to others, or even an unrealistic expectation of yourself. Work to increase gratitude for what you have, as well as self compassion.
Everyone makes mistakes. Perfectionists need to learn to accept their mistakes as part of a learning process so they can improve over time. Don't dwell on your mistakes, and don't let them define you. You might even find it helpful to intentionally engage in work or a project that you know you don’t understand so you can practice making it easier to make mistakes and learn and grow.
Perfectionists often focus on the end product, and they may neglect the process. However, the process is just as important as the product, if not more so. Focus on doing your best as you go and finding ways to enjoy the work you’re doing, and have confidence that focusing on the small steps will help you get to your overall goal.
Perfectionists are often very critical of themselves. However, it is important to be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, and focus on your strengths. Learn to engage in ongoing self compassion, so you can form a more positive relationship with yourself over time.
Many perfectionists try to impress others or hide their faults. Instead, building relationships where you can ask for help and be honest about your challenges will help challenge the idea you have to do everything on your own.
If you are struggling with perfectionism, it may be helpful to seek professional help. A therapist or coach can help you to understand your perfectionism and develop strategies to overcome it.
Perfectionism can be a helpful trait in some situations. However, it can also have negative consequences, especially in the workplace. If you are a perfectionist, it is important to be aware of the pitfalls of perfectionism and to develop strategies to overcome them. By following the tips in this blog, you can learn to overcome self-sabotage and achieve more sustainable success in the workplace.
Overcoming perfectionism is not easy, but it is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone. Recess’ technology helps users to decrease perfectionism by increasing self esteem, decreasing stress, and helping to increase motivation and focus through building Flow. This helps users to achieve extraordinary results and sustainable productivity without the downsides so they can leave perfectionism behind.
By following these tips and utilizing Recess, you can learn to overcome self-sabotage and perfectionism and achieve success in the workplace.
