Is Perfectionism Your Barrier?
Even perfectionism can be a barrier. Sometimes, efficiency requires letting go of some of the fine finishing details in which we take pleasure and pride. Or, are they really diversions we use to protect us from confronting the less pleasant tasks at hand? Perfectionism can be a mask for that other obstacle, fear. As any homeowner knows, it’s much easier to apply a fresh coat of paint to cover a crack in the wall than it is to dig down and repair the unstable foundation that caused the crack in the first place – and will cause more in the future. It can be scary to make a mess and uproot everything, and yet that’s what sometimes has to be done in order to fix underlying problems.
The perfectionist may not be able to see the doors in front of them because they have their eyes firmly fixed on the less important everyday minutiae. Or, they may delay opening that door until they’re absolutely certain they can do it perfectly. But let’s face it: if we wait for perfection, the right moment may never arrive.
If everything is functioning perfectly, the drive for perfection is a wonderful thing. But we empower ourselves to take on big, daunting challenges when we allow ourselves to focus on doing them well, rather than worrying about doing them perfectly. After all, the project that’s done well is always a better accomplishment than the one that’s never done at all.
This post is taken from my book, Opening the Doors to Empowerment. To read more from the book, visit our Product Page.
