Perfectionism – The Secret Killer Of Creativity and Wealth

Entrepreneurs and perfectionism don’t mix. I am so passionate about the topic of perfectionism because I think it is a nasty disease that’s growing as fast as diabetes in the United States and undermining your creativity, success and wealth. Just like diabetes, it can go undetected until there are real (life and business) health problems.

When you start thinking that you are broken, that something is wrong with you, that you have bad luck, are not good, smart or worthy enough to have success and live a wealthy life the perfectionist disease is already consuming your healthy sense of self.

So I am asking you to take the time, even if you don’t think you are a perfectionist, to really look inside yourself and ask three simple questions:

Am I highly critical of others and myself?

Do I often think, after I complete something, that I could/should have done better?

Am I usually disappointed in myself?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, keep reading!

Entrepreneurs and creative people are full of amazing, valuable ideas. You probably come up with new ideas daily. But then you put off doing something because you want to know how it will turn out before you put the energy in it. Because you’ve never done this before (or maybe nobody’s ever done this before!) you are worried about making mistakes. Or what if this idea is great and people love it? Then you might stand out, get a lot of attention, and have people ask you questions.

When you make the decision to actually do something, you go for it. But if you aren’t sure your decision is the right one, because you don’t know how everything will turn out in your favor, you will procrastinate and not go for it. Things need to be just so, or else you’re wasting your time, right? It would be embarrassing if someone noticed you didn’t have all the answers and know exactly how to meet your goal or develop your product.

Did you identify with any of the above? Wake up, you are holding yourself back with your perfectionism. Yes! You probably are a perfectionist. 

There’s a good reason so many of you are perfectionists.

As a child you made a Vow To Be Perfect because you think it is necessary for you to survive, feel safe and be loved. Because you were not getting your needs met and feared for your safety you created a strategy. If you are a “good girl/boy” and behave like people want you to behave, then you will get what you need and desire, feel safe and loved.

Here are some examples of childhood vows that created the perfectionist in you:

• If I’m good enough and make them (parents/spouse/boss/friends….) happy then I will be happy.
• If I become the nurturer and make people feel better, then I will feel safe because I am needed and loved for what I do for them.
• If I am perfect, then my depressed, addicted, or physically ill parent will get better and  take care of me. I won’t be abandoned.
• If I behave like a perfect angel/ good boy, then I will be worthy of love and good things in life
• If I follow all the rules and don’t cause any problems, I won’t get physically/verbally/sexually abused by anyone
• If follow all the rules, then I will go to heaven

We all have a little bit of perfectionism in us and that’s good because it helps you to strive to be your best self and create amazing results in your life. But it quickly gets in your way when your attention is always focused outward, concerned with what others will think of you if you’re not perfect.

When the vow to be perfect limits your purpose and passions from being expressed you need to manage your inner critic and redefine success.

Here is how perfectionism limits you:

• • Perfectionism turns you into a  people-pleaser rather than a leader, team player, teacher, or innovator. Doing things to look good or make others feel good without any concern for yourself keeps you from being your authentic self.
  • You become less efficient. When you complete projects you keep looking for ways to improve it and never get done. It not only leads to a lot of unfinished products, but also to unhappiness because you are always left wanting more. You don’t feel accomplished and you spend way more time on a task than is required.
  • You procrastinate, as you wait for a “perfect” moment when you know “it will all work out.” Your desire to “perfect” everything makes you over-complicate everything with  the expectation of perfection that can never be meet. So you keep thinking about it and don’t take action until you have to. You don’t want to feel the pain of rejection, humiliation, disappointment or criticism that you expect should it not be perfect.
  • You become less effective. You do simple things because they seem like a “good addition” without consciously thinking whether they’re really necessary.  You do things that make you feel busy but don’t move the big picture towards completion. These busy distractions keep you from having to put yourself out there.
  • You become lost in the details and loose the bigger picture. Your world becomes what you are working on and not the vision.
    
  • You focus on potential problems rather than creating and setting yourself up for success and your goal.