Perfectionism is Not Always The Best. Here Are 5 Reasons Why

1. You can get lost in the details

When focusing on the minuscule details, you might lose the big picture. You will end up winning battles but losing the war. 

2. You can have the limited room for creativity

Perfectionist tends to stick to a way that works and that closes the door to creativity and trying out new things. Perfectionists might end up losing many golden opportunities to improve performance and productivity in the long run.  

3. You can be seen as an executioner, not the manager

When you are co-managing a project, you might be seen as the executioner when you are more concern with the minor details rather than the direction and the bigger picture of a project. Your team might go to you to decide on the front, but the overall status report of the project goes to the co-manager. The reputation of being the gatekeeper of the finer details will reflect negatively on your reputation to your superior. If this goes on long enough, you are at the risk of not getting a promotion because you are seen as an efficient executioner but not a leader.

4. You might not be adaptable enough

Perfectionist tends to run a tight ship and expect things to run as planned. When the unexpected get thrown in, the perfectionist might get thrown off. We all need to be flexible enough to deal with unforeseen situations because things are never perfect. 

5. You might not be growing fast

The path to perfection is doing the same thing the same way again and again. You might master that process, but this also means you are not pushing the envelope. When you stay in your comfort zone, you risk not growing at all.  

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do a perfect job, but you need to know when to take a step back to focus on the big picture. We all need to learn – there’s no such thing as perfect. Do not let wanting to be perfect robs you of the chance to try new things, be creative, and grow.

Reference: Great Big Minds

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