The Link Between Perfectionism & Procrastination
When I was going to school, I would almost always wait until the last minute to complete my papers. All-nighters were a regular thing for me. Although I would know about these papers weeks in advance, I found it so difficult to start, even when I had all the information I needed. Even as I begin writing this blog post, it's difficult for me to not put my laptop down and do something else. Where is this urge coming from? It’s not because I don’t like to write, I actually do. I journal all of the time. I find that easy to do because my journal is just for my eyes. There is no one to judge my thoughts or what I write about or how I write it. A blog post is more difficult. I want readers to identify with what I’m writing. I want it to be liked. I want it to be perfect.
Perfectionism can often lead to negative thoughts about yourself, comparison, self-criticism, overthinking, procrastination, and more. When perfectionism leads to procrastination, the person becomes frozen or will take on any task (cleaning, scrolling their phone, running an errand, etc) other than the thing they want to perfect. This kind of avoidance often only makes the task even more paralyzing.
Here are some ways to help beat perfectionism and procrastination:
Break up the task into small pieces - looking at the whole task can be overwhelming. Breaking up what you have to do and focusing on each step, one at a time, can make the task easier to handle.
Remember that nothing & no one is perfect - recognize and examine your fears and insecurities. What triggered your inner critic? What is procrastination helping you to avoid? Allow yourself to be in the moment without criticizing. Observe yourself.
Reframe negative self-talk - look for evidence that challenges the negative thoughts. Dispute the negative thoughts.
Be compassionate to yourself - we tend to be much more compassionate to our friends and family than we are to ourselves. You are your own worst critic. If you find yourself thinking negatively about yourself, try to give yourself the same kind of grace you would give for a beloved friend.
People live with habits of procrastination and perfectionism for years. Although I am aware of it and am a psychotherapist, these are things that I continue to work on. It can take some time to unlearn these habits, but it is possible with consistency, self-awareness, and support. I highly doubt that this blog post is perfect. It’s not award-winning journalism or deep, but I got it finished and it is me. I’m proud of that.