What do you do if you're struggling with perfectionism and missing deadlines?

First, recognize that you exhibit traits of perfectionism if you frequently find yourself making the following statements: -I must achieve perfection. -Everything must be flawlessly executed. -Success in every endeavor is imperative. Now that you've identified these tendencies, what's next? Begin by monitoring your thoughts when you catch yourself in this mindset. Reflect on what preceded these thoughts. Continuously jot down these precursors. Over time, you'll develop keen self-awareness and gain insights into your patterns. Review your list periodically and pinpoint your triggers. Categorize these triggers and subject them to a reality check. Determine whether they hold true or if they're merely products of your perfectionist thinking.

Firstly i'd say that be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion. Remember that nobody is perfect, and it's okay to make mistakes or encounter setbacks along the way. Overcoming perfectionism and improving time management skills takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way. If perfectionism is significantly impacting your ability to meet deadlines consider seeking support. Set boundaries around your work. Learn to say no to additional tasks. Identify any patterns or habits that contributed to the issue. prioritize tasks and practise time management. Break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, feeling less daunting and help make progress even when you feel overwhelmed.

A diligent designer grappled with perfectionism, frequently missing deadlines in their quest for flawless work. Their mentor imparted wisdom: "Perfection is a journey, not a destination. It's consistent effort and perseverance that count more than being perfect." Embracing this insight, the designer learned to strike a balance between excellence and efficiency, meeting deadlines while maintaining quality. This transformation not only enhanced their work but also underscored the importance of progress over perfection, a lesson they shared, inspiring many.

Acknowledge and recognize that perfectionism is a challenge for you. Understand that striving for perfection can sometimes lead to procrastination and missed deadlines.

In my practice, I found SMART goals inefficient for clients struggling with perfectionism. Instead, I recommend using the WOOP technique. It's a 4-step goal-setting method: Wish (what do I really want?), Outcome (imagine all emotions from achieving the goal), Obstacles (what can stop me? List all), Plan (list of "if _obstacle_ happens, then I will do that") It's a simple yet extremely powerful method

Break down larger tasks or projects into smaller, more manageable steps. This can help prevent overwhelm and make it easier to stay on track with deadlines. Prioritize your tasks based on their importance and urgency. Focus on completing high-priority tasks first, rather than getting bogged down trying to perfect less critical aspects.

To stop being afraid to get negative feedback, first, ASK what others expect to get as a result of your work and WHY. The speed of delivery of results is often more important than extremely-high-quality. Always remember that when others provide you feedback, it's related to your work, not you personally. And they do that to improve common results.

Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion. Understand that everyone struggles with perfectionism from time to time, and it's okay to make mistakes or miss deadlines occasionally. Treat yourself with the same understanding and empathy that you would offer to others.

Have a critical friend to give you feedback and a great mentor or coach who can help you on this perfectionism journey amd to look at your achievements and feedback loop to support continual development. Nothing is perfect. We do, We get feedback, We listen, We evaluate, We design amd improve. This is personal development.

Find your greatness. Perfection is a view based on everyone else’s opinion, full of wasted time and energy to attempt to reach a metric of satisfaction that is not efficient in terms of time and quality of life. Greatness is purely your own. Be great.

As an Executive Coach, perfectionism enters the picture all too often. It is one of the most common characteristics of high-achievers. While perfectionism can push the individual, creating conditions for excellence, it can also limit the individual as it's rooted in the unattainable. I guide my clients to explore the foundation of their perfectionism, while developing critical elements of EQ.