How to Harness the Power of Perfectionism

How to Harness the Power of Perfectionism

Hi team,

Welcome to our weekly newsletter!

This week we want to tackle the matter of perfectionism and look into how it can be a powerful tool for achieving our goals, but also bringing an awareness to the risks of perfectionism.

During COVID we went through a phase of going all in on everything Disney and because of this we read two books relating to the company in some form; “Disney’s Land” by Richard Snow, which looks into the trials and travails that Walt Disney and the company went through to launch the first Disneyland. The second was Robert Iger’s “The Ride of a Lifetime” and both were extremely enjoyable reads, which we would recommend. They both contained sections which touched on the issue of perfectionism.

In both books the positives of perfectionism were discussed, where people or businesses have a desire to offer the complete package and go out of their way to provide this. It is something we can relate to, in that desire to produce something of quality. However, there is a downside, which can be when a perfectionist cannot find their perfect. As this monster develops, it actually becomes a hindrance rather than a positive, as people or businesses struggle to find their “perfect” look and end up causing frustration, anxiety and/or delays.

All this said, it doesn’t mean that we should drop that desire to create perfection, but hopefully the below tools will provide some context for how to get there:

Perfection is the result of all of the little items being right

There may be a temptation to think of perfection as the final product or service that we create and whilst that may be true, when we break this down it is a culmination of smaller items being done well. There are times when we can get over focused on the end result, when the best thing to do is hone into the steps that will get to the end goal.

With this in mind, when we come to consider our next project, make a list of the smaller items that, done well, will lead to the perfect end result. It helps to make notes as you go through each item, so that you have a record of the tasks for future reference. Start making your way through this list and when the project has been completed, review the overall result against those smaller steps taken.

Know when to launch

Possibly the hardest part of harnessing the power of perfectionism is knowing when to launch. We have spoken to people in the past who try to apply a percentage basis to launching, which was essentially that if they got to deadline day and they were 80%+ happy with the end result they would still go ahead. But that is super sensitive to what you are doing, because for some industries launching with something that is 80% of the way to perfection may be extremely damaging or in some cases, business/career ending. So, our view is to establish your own “launch” framework that works for you. Maybe you can also apply a percentage framework, but if not, the key is to know when your perfectionism is procrastination disguised or when it is protecting you from the greater issue of a failed launch.

Take the wide approach to find your perfect

Sometimes the greatest route to perfection is by taking the wide approach. By this we mean to engage with different opportunities that present themselves. When we take a blinkered view and become restricted in how we want something to be, it can become very easy to forget the wider picture of what we are trying to achieve. By ensuring that we take in new experiences and approaches, we are allowing our minds to challenge our pre-existing view of what perfect may mean. Or, you may still find that your own view of perfection is unchanged, but at least you have gone through the process of allowing new opinions and experiences. So, in the week ahead, we highly recommend you opening your horizon to new experiences and perspectives, as they present themselves.

Be prepared to own your failures

When we create something, we believe is perfect, one of the scariest risks is the chance that others may not share that same view. But as history shows us time and time again, in the face of this type of adversity, we must review the process and go again. Yes, there is no denying it can be hard to find that resilience to go again, but if you truly believe in what you are trying to achieve, then it is about owning the failure and prepare for how to make the necessary improvements in the future. Therefore, move forward with confidence and in the face of set-backs, become resilient with a fair amount of reflection to take that step again.

We hope that in the week ahead these points will help you harness your own perfectionism and avoid the pitfalls. Go well and wishing you all well!

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