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:
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.
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.
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.
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