Michael Law
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Hello. My name is Mike. And I’m a recovering perfectionist.
For a long time, I believed that being a perfectionist was a good thing. I was proud of my compulsion to work and rework even the smallest assignment until it was faultless. What did it matter that it took me hours more than it probably should have? I was a perfectionist. All that mattered was that I nailed it.When I became a freelancer, however, I realized that my perfectionism wasn’t the big pat-on-the-back that I thought it was. In fact, it was just the opposite. With my eye now always on the clock, I saw that my relentless quest for perfection was making me inefficient. More often than I care to confess, I undercharged clients because I didn’t want to admit the true amount of time it had taken me to complete the assignment. (Note: this is not a good way to run a business.)
Frustrated and anxious, I knew I had to beat the problem or kiss my career goodbye. But how? I was afraid that if I devoted any less time to my projects, I’d make some hideous mistake and ruin my career. I also afraid that being even a smidgen less meticulous might result a failure to meet–no, exceed–my client’s expectations. How could I alter my work habits without sacrificing my high standards?
Well, it didn’t happen overnight, but I did eventually come up with a workable strategy. If you suspect you might be a perfectionist too, consider these five tips to bring your obsessive tendencies under control.
Tip #1: Address the Real Problem
At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Think about it. The next time you find yourself spinning in endless circles on an assignment, ask yourself what you’re afraid of–whether you feel consciously afraid or not–and dig deep for a response. You’ll be surprised at what comes up.Now, once you’ve isolated that fear, confront it head-on. Anxious about working with a new client? Worried about tackling a new technique? Scared you’ll miss a deadline? Run through worst-case scenarios in your head. Keep ‘what if’-ing, worse and worse scenarios, until you can’t anymore. Often when you stare fear straight in the eye, it miraculously loses its power. And you’re left free to work productively.
Tip #2: Set Time Limits
Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve crossed the line from conscientious to compulsive. When you’re in the thick of an assignment, it’s easy to believe that you must spend so much time brainstorming, researching, writing, testing, revising or what-have-you. Often, it’s only after you’ve been working for hours on end that you realize that half the work you’ve been doing wasn’t actually necessary and that you’ve just wasted a lot of time.Nip time-wasting in the bud by setting an objectively reasonable time limit to complete each task. If you run out of time, no matter the point you are at, stop and switch to a different task. This approach has two advantages. First, it serves as an alarm that your perfectionist tendencies may be taking over. Second, it forces you to take a breather and give your mind a chance to relax. When you return to the task, you’ll look at the project afresh–and be armed against letting your perfectionism get the best of you.