“Perfectionism is a hustle.” –Brené Brown
I’ve spent many a night at the office–hours after everyone else has driven home and eaten dinner–to get ahead on my job. I’ve worked through hunger pains, dehydration, and exhaustion all in hopes of delivering a great product, getting ahead of deadlines, and/or outperforming others.
When I first showed signs of overworking and holding myself up to impossible standards, people asked me what was going on. Perfectionism, I’d say with an air of accomplishment. It’s perfectionism that drives me to push myself so hard.
I’ve spent years conning myself into believing that perfectionism is what made me good at my job. But the truth is, perfectionism has done me more harm than good.
Perfectionism may masquerade as a tool for success in the workplace, but it undermines creativity, true productivity, and happiness. Underneath the banner of “Be Perfect” is a bonfire of ego and self-loathing. We say we want to be perfect for ourselves and others, while fanning the flames of self-doubt and low self-esteem.
Perfection is an insidious voice that tells me that if I don’t overwork myself, I won’t get what I want. It whispers to me that I’m the only one who cares about a particular project. It urges me to stay later and work harder because if I don’t do it myself, I will let everyone down. What’s worse, perfectionism has made me turn on myself and others.
Even though many of us in business use perfectionism as a badge of honor, it’s not the key to achieving success. Perfectionism keeps us from living a healthy and authentic life. Trying to achieve the unattainable goal of perfection is linked to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis. Perfectionism fosters a culture of fear within us and our workplace. Being the Best makes us afraid to fail, to make mistakes, or even be criticized.
Whenever I feel a bout of perfectionism coming on, I enforce mandatory self-care moments. I set an alarm to make sure I don’t stay past my out time at the office. I take walks around the block to break up the monotony of the project I’m working on. I put some music on. I read an inspiring article. Or, when things get really bad, I take an emergency chocolate break.
Despite all the mind chatter telling me the opposite, I have to remind myself over and over again that I am the most productive when I’m having fun and taking care of myself. I don’t need to get everything done right now. There will be more time tomorrow. In the world of tech, the mantra is done is better than perfect. So why not treat myself to a productive next day, after I’ve had a great night of sleep and dinner with my husband?
It’s in the stillness of self-care–deep breaths, meditation, or enjoying a bit of delicious food–that I am reminded that overworking doesn’t earn me a spot at the table. I’m over the perfectionism con. In truth, we are all invited to be part of building something special. But we can’t show up if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. I’d rather be happy as I do great things.
How do you fight off the perfectionist mindset?