How Procrastination is Related to Perfectionism
“Perfectionists demand the best and set high standards. Because they place so much pressure on themselves, they postpone because they fear failing.
Do you procrastinate on tasks? Do you have chores you need to start but can't motivate yourself? Do you start a task that never ends? Maybe your inner voice keeps encouraging you to do things, but you can't motivate yourself.
Even though your inner voice is loud, you occasionally ignore it so much that you don't understand why you keep putting things off. Your “inner critic” may punish you for procrastination, which may make you feel guilty. You may struggle to inspire yourself to complete duties even if you feel bad.
If you've had these issues for a while, you may be asking why you procrastinate. Usually perfectionism causes procrastination. You've probably heard, “Do something right or don't do it at all.”
Most perfectionists prefer “not do it at all.” Perfectionists demand high standards and excellence from their job. Because they place so much pressure on themselves, they often put off work because they dread failing.
Perfectionists spend too much time on their task because they want it perfect. They work hard and grow weary mentally and physically because of this. Before commencing work, they take additional time to prepare and check.
Due of their attention on performing the job right, they work slowly. They grow so frustrated of trying to do it right that they quit or leave their task halfway. They consider the risk of a poor outcome worse than quitting the job.
If you have all these traits and are asking how to overcome this contradiction, we have some ideas.
Lowering your standards is a great approach to stop procrastinating. Your standards are definitely too high, but you don't realise it. Lowering your expectations lets you stop perfectionism and accomplish things "normally."
You can reduce your standards with minor things. You can send an email without checking it numerous times, then quickly reread it and send it.
After these small steps, become more “imperfect.” Try to conclude a work presentation in a fraction of the time it takes to put together the information. That little time will surprise you with how much you can accomplish.
Determine the minimum success needed to achieve a delayed goal. Start pursuing that goal immediately. As you labour, tell yourself, "Perfect isn't necessary. It must suffice."
Changing your work system in modest steps like this will progressively eliminate procrastination. You can overcome perfectionism when you realise every task is “good enough” over time.
It will dawn on you that you squandered a lot of time and energy on earlier activities. So, your motivation will grow. The satisfaction of finishing all your goals will make you happier and more successful.