How Perfectionism Is Secretly Working Against You

Have you ever had a goal but ended up spending more time planning the goal than actually starting on it? You tweak,  re-tweak, you procrastinate… then feel guilty for not following through.

It’s not because you don’t fully intend to accomplish that goal; it’s because perfectionism has quietly creeped in—and it’s killing your momentum.

What Is Perfectionism and How Does It Affect Productivity?

When most people think of the word “perfectionism”, they think it means color-coded planners and obsessively tidy spaces. 

But in real life, it can look messy.

It can show up as missed deadlines, half-finished projects, and feeling paralyzed by your own expectations.

Here’s how it tends to make itself known (see if any of these resonate with you):

• You don’t start unless you know you can do it 100% right.

• You rewrite the same thing five times and still hesitate to hit publish.

• You wait for the “right” time or better energy… and wait… and wait…

You’re constantly refining—but rarely finishing.

Because if it’s not perfect, it doesn’t count, right? That’s where perfectionism and productivity collide. You want to be productive, but the need to get everything just right means you never actually get momentum.

Why It’s So Draining (And How It Keeps You Stuck)

Perfectionism isn’t just annoying—it’s mentally exhausting. You end up busy, but not effective. Tired, but not accomplished.

You start something, then second-guess yourself.  You’re trying to meet impossible (self-imposed) standards, which leads to:

• Chronic procrastination

• Mental burnout from overthinking every detail

• Anxiety around decision-making

• Avoiding things you actually want to do

  
  

And the worst part? You start questioning yourself.  “Why can’t I just do it already?” Because you’ve linked your worth to your performance—and that’s a dangerous game.

Break the Perfectionism Cycle and Do the Damn Thing

So how do you break the cycle and actually do the thing?  You need to rewire your approach.

Here are a few shifts that help you move forward, even if your inner perfectionist is screaming:

1. Lower the Barrier to Entry

Instead of asking, “What’s the perfect version of this?”, ask, “What’s the easiest way to start?” Write one paragraph. Move your body for five minutes. Organize one drawer. Tiny wins build real momentum.

2. Give Yourself a Rough Draft Rule

Decide that version one of anything can be a mess—and that mess is allowed. Let “done” be good enough. You can always improve it later (but most of the time, you won’t even need to).

3. Redefine What Counts as Productive

Productivity doesn’t mean doing more—it means doing what matters. Sometimes, rest is productive. Clarity is productive. Saying no is productive. That’s how you get your energy back.

How Perfectionism Quietly Destroys Confidence

Perfectionism convinces you that you’re failing unless everything is polished. But real confidence is built by showing up before you feel ready—especially when it’s messy.

The more you act, the more your belief in yourself grows. Not because it was perfect, but because you proved to yourself that you’re someone who takes action. That’s the real flex.

You Got This!

It’s important to know that we all go through this. Those people that you admire that have done cool things…yep; they most likely suffer from this as well. The thing is, they started anyway. They followed through even though things might be messy. They learned that trying and doing - even when it wasn’t perfect- was 100x better than waiting. Now go do the thing :)

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