Are you a ‘perfectionist?

Do all the stars have to align just right in order for you to start a project?

Do you aim aim aim, but never fire?

I hate to break it to you, but you’re not a perfectionist, you’re just scared. You fear that you’ll get it wrong or screw it up and also that someone might see a mistake you make and call you out on it.  You fear that you will not live up to the high standards you or others have set for you.

Research shows that the two biggest problems perfectionists suffer from are procrastination and negative self-talk. The research also shows that the anxiety over making a mistake is often holding the perfectionist back from achieving any aspect of perfection.

Now this is not an endorsement for sloppy work or being lazy. However, if you conduct some soul searching and find that you miss opportunities  or you neglect to work on ideas because everything has to be perfect before you start then perhaps it’s time to put aside being a perfectionist and allow yourself to not get things right the first time. Remember if it’s perfect then there’s no room for improvement.