Why perfectionists procrastinate

They have come to believe that their self-worth and their achievements are intricately linked. In short, if they have done something perfectly, then they are good, if they have not done something perfectly, then they, as a person, are bad.

Because being perfect is an unobtainable goal for all human beings, perfectionists set themselves up for inevitable failure. This explains why so many perfectionists procrastinate: instead of dealing with the anxiety and pain an imperfect outcome produces, they put off the project or work until the very last possible minute. In the first column, list the tasks that you are blocked on and are putting off.

In the second column, write down the anxiety, concerns, worries or fears you have about doing that task. Start anywhere and write down as much as you can. Sequester yourself. Firewall technology. Use one of the great apps or browser extensions that block you from the lure of distracting websites. Instead of writing the proposal, just get ready to write it by jotting down a few ideas.

And so on. Eventually, the line will blur between the getting ready for doing it, and actually doing it. Practice structured procrastination : put the most important thing at the top of the list and other important things that need to get done under it. Good ideas often come when engaging in mindless activities like washing the dishes, gardening and organizing.

The trick is to use these activities as tools for generating ideas, not as ways to escape tasks. The next step is determine the time of the task yourself by assigning it a set time or giving yourself a quota : Give yourself five minutes or ten minutes of focus.

You can shoulder through anything for minutes, right? Devoting even a small amount of focus will break the siren call of pushing it off and get you on track to completing the task. Pomodoro uses 30m with 25m for the sprint, and 5m for the break. Fill a quota by running dashes. Here, you can build in your own breaks, but the important part is determine your quota and stick to it. Determine your quota, stick with it, and reward yourself at the end.

A single day for a single task: schedule doing the task, and only that task, for a certain day. Put it on your calendar. Pro tip: combine this with sequestering yourself above. Ready, set, GO! Going the Extra Mile Want to up the ante even more? Pitfalls to Avoid Do not get discouraged. Remember, breaking the loop is a process. It will take time to break years of old habits. Are you wondering why you procrastinate, especially if this has been a life-long issue for you?

When we procrastinate, often the surprising underlying reason is perfectionism. Since they are putting such pressure on themselves, perfectionists will often procrastinate and not start a project or task because of the fear they have of not being able to achieve perfection. Or they start, but become so drained from the effort of trying to get the end result to be perfect, that they quit or stall out.

If this sounds like you, you may have just had a big insight about yourself. And if you want to be a reformed, perfectionistic procrastinator, you may be wondering how you can liberate yourself from this pattern. One way for you to overcome procrastination is to lower your standards. To start, you should lower your standards with something easy. Perhaps you always make your bed every morning. Or try sending an email without proofreading it first. Ask yourself daily. Work these steps into your life.

Write the above questions and tips out on a note card or sticky note where you will see it often. Team up with a fellow recovering perfectionist and share drafts with typos and share examples that will help you re-examine your standards.

Break down big goals into manageable sections. Each quarter, each month and each define what needs to be done. This will keep you focused on constant progress and decrease feelings of overwhelm.

Do not bookmark this post like a gazillion others and think you will read it later when you have time. Make the time to invest in yourself to stop the cycle. Print this, make notes, and set some reminders to keep you focused on progress and not perfection.