Photo by Lali Masriera
In another post, Naked in Times Square, I listed many of the internal obstacles, or what I like to call “inner demons,” that pursuing creative work can bring out. To save you the trouble of checking it out, here’s the list again:
- Fear of judgment
- Fear of failure
- Fear of success
- Okay, lots of kinds of fear
- Overwhelm
- Imposter syndrome
- Second-guessing
- Indecision
- Difficulty staying focused
- Procrastination
- Setting priorities
- Do we really need to list them ALL?
Recently, I’ve come to the conclusion that every single one of the demons on that list is actually caused by the Mother of All Demons: Perfectionism.
Think about it. Why would you fear failing — or success — if you were comfortable with not performing according to the ideal? When we procrastinate tasks that we actually want to do, underneath the resistance is the sense that what we do might not be good enough. When we can’t decide, it’s because we’re worried we might decide wrong – our decision may not be perfect. Overwhelm? Strongly influenced by feeling like we have to do it all, or we won’t be…perfect.
If this is true, then imagine how powerful it would be for you in your life and creative work if you could overcome perfectionism. Personally, the more I overcome my perfectionism, the more I am set free.
The Japanese seem to have a pretty good handle on the perfectionism thing through concepts like kaizen (being satisfied with small steps toward goals) and wabi sabi (seeing beauty in imperfection). Yet look at the quality of what they produce. I’d put my Honda up against any Buick, any day of the week! This demonstrates something counterintuitive:
Giving up perfectionism actually helps you perform better and achieve more.
How liberating is that?
As you go about your day, take a look at how often your resistance or fears are coming from the crazy expectation that you should do no wrong. Then please share your observations in the comments!
Can’t agree more with you on this one Sue. perfectionism is the bane of all creative endeavors.
I feel that perfectionism is the door to a lot of fears that just hold us back, and as you noted in the article, freedom from perfectionism is one of the best ways to expand our horizons in our creative endeavors.
I’m still recovering from this horrible habit, but every effort I have taken to stop myself from being a perfectionist have paid a lot more.
Thanks for this wonderful article!
Alejandro Reyes recently posted..Five simple tips to stop being a perfectionist
Twitter: EnsoJourney
Hey Sue. I have been going through a number of iterations of what perfection means and discussing it with my Engineering brethren.
We haven’t reached a consensus, but I was inspired to write a couple of blog posts on it. http://buildingmadesimple.blogspot.com/2011/12/perfectionism-is-dead-long-live.html
I agree with you that the overwhelming feeling of not being able to do your work justice can prevent you from ever getting it done. Such a shame. I also think that out perceptions of perfection has both an outward and inward side… the inward side being the most dangerous.
Thanks for posting.
Glen recently posted..Perfectionism is dead, long live Persistence
Twitter: avatarengineers
Glen, I agree with you about the danger of our inward perception of perfection. For many people, their work can *never* be good enough. I encourage people to set a standard for what constitutes “good enough” before they even start working. It’s a lot easier to trust your own judgment on the quality of the work if you’ve considered objective criteria in advance.
Sue Mitchell recently posted..6 1/2 Ways Consumerism Impacts Your Creativity
Twitter: Sue_Mitchell