Why perfectionism is a career killer

In one study of more than 1, Chinese students, researchers found that gifted students were more perfectionistic in the adaptive ways. Maladaptive perfectionists, on the other hand, were more likely to be non-gifted.

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo says he strives for excellence, not perfection: 'I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well' Credit: Getty Images. Simply having high personal standards has been linked to suicide ideation , for example.

And even if there sometimes may be upsides to perfectionist thinking, they are minor — and, researchers argue, misunderstood. But for a perfectionist, those are really a symptom, or a side product, of what perfectionism is.

From the outside, it can be difficult to tell who is motivated and conscientious and who is a perfectionist Credit: Getty Images. Take the student who works hard and gets a poor mark. That inner voice criticises different things for different people — work, relationships, tidiness, fitness. It can take someone who knows me well to pick up on them. When I messaged my partner I was writing this story, he immediately sent back a long line of laughing emojis. Perfectionists can make smooth sailing into a storm, a brief ill wind into a category-five hurricane.

At the very least, they perceive it that way. And, because the ironies never end, the behaviours perfectionists adapt ultimately, actually, do make them more likely to fail. Tennis star Serena Williams is a self-described perfectionist who destroys racquets and casts blame when things go wrong — outbursts which have cost her the game Credit: Alamy.

In one lab experiment, for example, Hill gave both perfectionists and non-perfectionists specific goals. Interestingly, both groups kept putting in the same amount of effort. But one group felt much unhappier about the whole thing — and gave up earlier.

Guess which. They also experience more anger. They have quite avoidant coping tendencies when things can't be perfect. That, of course, hinders them from the very success that they want to achieve. In his plus studies focusing on athletes, for example, Hill has found that the single biggest predictor of success in sports is simply practice.

It makes me think of my own childhood peppered with avoiding or starting and quitting almost every sport there was. In fact, multiple studies have found a correlation between perfectionism and performance anxiety even in children as young as Perfectionism and performance anxiety often are intertwined in adolescents and children, research has found Credit: Getty Images. The trouble is that, for perfectionists, performance is intertwined with their sense of self.

They feel shame about who they are. Perfectionism is also dangerous. Record numbers of young people are experiencing mental illness, according to the World Health Organisation. Depression, anxiety and suicide ideation are more common in the US, Canada and the UK now than a decade ago. Research shows that perfectionistic tendencies predict issues like depression , anxiety and stress — even when researchers controlled for traits like neuroticism.

Worsening matters, being self-critical might lead to depressive symptoms but those symptoms then can make self-criticism worse , closing a distressing loop. One recent study , for example, found that over a one-year period, college students who had social anxiety were more likely to become perfectionists — but not vice versa. And self-criticism, which perfectionists are so good at, predicts depression.

When it comes to the most dramatic example, suicide, numerous studies also have found that perfectionism is a lethal contributor all on its own. When we recognize that high quality is a team effort, we can do our best work and trust that our team has our back and will make us look good.

If nothing is ever good enough, it makes for a very critical mindset. However, teamwork thrives in an atmosphere of trust, or as Google identified as the No. In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. They feel confident that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea. Everyone on your team will be playing defense, not offense. Shifting your mindset from one of perfectionism to progress will take some effort.

Start by measuring backward:. In all of my meetings with team members and clients, I start with a quick exercise called The Positive Focus. The Positive Focus is simply a reflection of progress and what people are happy about. I love doing this because it sets me up for a good night's sleep and a productive next day! Every Monday morning, write down up to 10 business and 10 personal achievements from the previous week.

Doing this helps you know that you're making progress in both of the key areas of your life and that you're not getting out of balance with one or the other. Get a first look at my new book "Fire Your Narrator! Click here to get the first two chapters FREE and join our newsletter for info on upcoming workshops and webinars.

Facebook Twitter Instagram. Perfectionism is the Killer of Creativity. June 12, Are you waiting to do something, you know, when the time is right? Is that project a bit late because you just want to fix one more thing?

It did not mean the end of my career. It did require a sincere apology.