What separates these two? In my opinion, the pursuit of excellence
and perfectionism are closely related, but produce measurably different
results. They also create measurably different environments. Join me as
we review a few of the dynamic differences in the two. My goal is that
if you are a perfectionist, you will see a different point of view; if
you are a person striving for excellence, you will continue to strive.
Personal
excellence is all about “Doing the Right Thing Right”. It is focused on
the REASON for a task, and the RESULTS necessary for it to be a
success. Perfectionism is focused on “Doing the Thing ‘Right’”, and is
focused on the APPEARANCE of a task, and worries about if OTHERS think
it’s done right. In the pursuit of excellence, there is not the
sacrifice of self-esteem that is found in pursuing perfectionism.
Perfectionism
can be a thief of your time, a drain on your physical and emotional
energy, and an internal bully. On the other hand, the pursuit of
excellence keeps you focused on the things that matter, energizes you
and can serve as an internal cheerleader.
Perfectionism costs you
effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, and most importantly – peace of
heart and mind. On the other hand, productivity is practically a
“built-in” feature of the pursuit of excellence.
Perfectionists, when they run into difficulty, get easily overwhelmed
and give up. On the other hand, pursuers of excellence experience
temporary disappointment, but they keep going.
Perfectionists can be devastated by failure; pursuers of excellence learn from it.
Perfectionists remember mistakes and dwell on them. Pursuers of excellence correct mistakes and learn from them.
Perfectionists
want to be number one. Pursuers of excellence can live with not being
the best, especially when they know they’ve tried their hardest.
Perfectionists hate criticism; pursuers of excellence see criticism as a way to learn.
Perfectionists have to win to keep high
self-esteem. Pursuers of excellence can finish second and still feel good about themselves.
Here are some characteristics that define if you are a perfectionist vs. a person who strives for excellence:
- “Win or Lose” mentality – perfectionists and
excellent thinkers alike set high goals and reach for them; however, a
person striving for excellence can and will be satisfied with doing a
great job, even if their very high goals aren’t completely met.
Conversely, perfectionists will accept nothing less than, well -
perfection. ‘Almost perfect’ is seen as failure. This breeds within a
perfectionist something that surprises most people: low self-esteem.
- Unrealistic Goals or Standards: Sadly, a
perfectionist’s goals often aren’t even reasonable. While people
pursuing excellence set their goals high, perfectionists often set their
initial goals out of reach, compounding their exacting measures of
success with impossible goals. Because of this, those in pursuit of
excellence tend to be not only happier, but also more successful than
perfectionists in the pursuit of their goals.
- Focus on Results: Those people focused on
excellence often enjoy the process of chasing a goal as much or more
than the actual reaching of the goal itself. They see the value of
learning along the way. Conversely, perfectionists see the goal and
nothing else. They’re so concerned about meeting the goal and avoiding
the dreaded failure that they can’t enjoy the process of growing and
striving.
- Fear vs. Joy: Perfectionists are fueled by fear:
fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of _______ (fill in the blank).
When your focus is on excellence, there is an internal joy at doing
something meaningful, becoming smarter, stronger and more powerful.
- Procrastination: It seems paradoxical that
perfectionists would be prone to procrastination, as that trait can be
detrimental to productivity, but perfectionism and procrastination tend
to go hand in hand. This is because fearing failure as they do,
perfectionists will sometimes worry so much about doing something
imperfectly that they become immobilized and fail to do anything at all!
This leads to more feelings of failure, and a vicious cycle is born.
So, what’s to be done? Any type of change
requires a shift in thinking on your part. If you find that you tend to
be a perfectionist, remember that your struggle to be perfect focuses
your attention on what's wrong or what's not working rather than seeing
the good that you’ve done. A focus on excellence keeps your eyes on
what’s working well, and enables you to be fueled by your successes.
First
– you have to believe that you have value, and that the skills you have
are valuable. You have to learn to forgive yourself when you make a
mistake, and use that as a learning process.
Second, shift your
thinking to RESULTS, effectiveness, and impact. When you worry less
about what color the paper is and focus your attention to what is ON the
paper, you will be making a baby step toward the pursuit of excellence.
Finally,
in your quest to “tame” your perfectionism, consider this – the pursuit
of perfection will ultimately be the foundation upon which your failure
to live will be built. The pursuit of excellence will be the
cornerstone upon which your healthy, thriving life will be built.
