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Productivity methods and focus

Perfectionism

Holding yourself or others to standards so high they can't be met, and judging yourself harshly when they aren't.

What It Means

Perfectionism is a pattern of setting standards that are unrealistically high, for yourself or for other people, and feeling that anything short of them is a failure. Psychologists describe several forms, including pressure you feel coming from other people and demands you place on the people around you.

Try It: A Quick Perfectionism Self-Check

Tick what sounds like you most weeks. This is Buhata's own quick check, not a diagnosis.

Signs ticked0
Out of6

A few high standards can be healthy. Keep an eye on whether they cost you sleep, time or peace of mind.

How People Say It

  • "I rewrote that email six times before sending it."
  • "If I can't do it perfectly, why bother?"
  • "It's fine, but it's not right yet."

The Breakdown

Signs Cleveland Clinic lists

  • Striving for more than 100% and piling pressure on yourself to get there
  • A strong need for structure, order and tidiness
  • Being hyper-aware of every mistake you've made

Forms psychologists describe (APA Monitor)

FormWhat it looks like
Socially prescribedBelieving others will value you only if you're perfect
Other-orientedDemanding perfection from partners, family or coworkers
Adaptive vs. maladaptiveSome researchers split high standards into helpful and harmful kinds

Loosening it for one task (Buhata's own steps)

  1. Before you start, write down what "done" means for this task.
  2. Set a time limit for it.
  3. Stop when you hit the definition or the time, whichever comes first.
  4. Afterward, note what actually happened and compare it with what you feared.

Try it today. Send one email after a single read-through.

Good to Know

The APA reports that research ties perfectionism to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other problems, and links the socially prescribed form with suicide. Cleveland Clinic says people with unhealthy perfectionism can benefit a great deal from psychotherapy, so if the pressure is affecting your mood, sleep, work or relationships, talk to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional. If you're having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, free and confidential at any hour. In an emergency, call 911.

FAQ

What are the signs of perfectionism?

Cleveland Clinic lists striving for more than 100%, a strong need for order and structure, and being hyper-aware of your mistakes. Research on procrastinationProcrastinationPutting off a task you intended to do, even though you expect the delay to leave you worse off, often to escape how the task makes you feel. See more also names perfectionism among the traits linked to putting tasks off.

Is perfectionism a good thing?

Some researchers separate adaptive high standards from maladaptive ones, according to the APA Monitor. The harmful kind, especially feeling others will only value you if you're perfect, is linked with depression and other problems.

Is perfectionism the same as OCD?

No. Cleveland Clinic has a separate article on the differences, and a doctor or licensed mental health professional can tell them apart if you're unsure.

Do It in Buhata

Habit streaks and Notes

Add "Sent it after one read-through" to Habit streaks (Plus) in Buhata and tick it each day you let a good-enough piece of work go.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Done is better than perfect

    A saying that urges you to finish and share work that's good enough rather than keep polishing it, known from a Facebook office poster Sheryl Sandberg described.

  • Procrastination

    Putting off a task you intended to do, even though you expect the delay to leave you worse off, often to escape how the task makes you feel.

  • All-or-nothing thinking

    A thinking pattern that sees things in only two extremes, total success or total failure, with nothing in between; also called black-and-white thinking.

  • Self-compassion

    Treating yourself with the kindness you'd offer a friend when you struggle; researcher Kristin Neff describes three parts: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness.

  • Satisficing

    Choosing the first option that meets your standards instead of searching for the best one, a term coined by Nobel laureate Herbert Simon.

Productivity methods and focus

Sources

Cleveland Clinic, "Am I A Perfectionist? 5 Traits and Signs"; Cleveland Clinic, "Differences Between Perfectionism and OCD"; American Psychological Association, Monitor on Psychology, "The many faces of perfectionism"; American Psychological Association, Speaking of Psychology, "When good is never good enough, with Gordon Flett, PhD"; "Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Other Work-Related Mental Problems: Prevalence, Types, Assessment, and Treatment, A Scoping Review" (PubMed Central); 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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