8 Negative Side-Effects of Perfectionism

Perfectionists often set unrealistic expectations for themselves and others, which can lead to disappointment and frustration. This can also strain relationships with others who may not share the same level of perfectionism.

I often talk about setting goals, for the reason that it is the foundation of your actions. And fragmenting your goals into

SMART steps prevent you from setting the bar too high. In the SMART goals/steps acronym (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based), the A is for "Attainable" and means a combination of ability and motivation. Why would you want to set a goal or start a project that is not attainable? Sounds silly uh? Simply because perfectionists think this is the ONLY way. They have a high vision for themselves and others.

Perfectionists sometimes have a hard time accepting criticism or feedback, even if it's constructive. They may take it as a personal attack on their abilities and feel defensive.

This is more of an ego problem, I have to say. You can be a perfectionist and open to critics. But let's be honest here: it is rare, because when you aim and want to do the thing perfectly and someone tells you it is not as perfect as you thought, it hurts your feelings because you feel like you have let yourself go and have lower standards than you thought. It is highly disappointing.

Perfectionists may be at risk for burnout, as they often work long hours and put a lot of pressure on themselves to perform at a high level. This can lead to exhaustion and a lack of motivation.

The word "burnout" was originally coined in 1975 and meant "mental exhaustion from continuous effort." Today, it is mostly used in the workplace in reference to employees who push their hours way too far or too intensely to the point of total breakdown.

It is no secret that perfectionists are the first victims of burnout. By wanting their tasks to be done a certain way and to the letter, perfectionists often need more hours to get through the bottom of their workload. And this is to the detriment not only of their personal lives but also of their minds and souls. Health catastrophes are on the horizon.

Perfectionists may struggle with delegating tasks to others, as they feel that they are the only ones who can do the task perfectly. This can lead to a lack of trust in others and a heavy workload for the perfectionist (which can lead to the burnout mentioned above).

I have mostly occupied management positions since my mid-twenties. Delegating was never really an issue for me, because I truly believe this is THE superpower of any leader's role. But after many years living and working in Indonesia, I also learned how to delegate without having high expectations because culture, education, experience, values and languages all bring lots of differences. When I became an entrepreneur myself, I also learned how to hire people to help me in their own areas of expertise! Learning how to do things is fun and part of the entrepreneurial journey, but it takes time, and sometimes, it is frankly not in your skillset.

Perfectionists may be highly self-critical, which can be detrimental to their self-esteem and mental health. They may be overly harsh on themselves, leading to feelings of inadequacy and failure.

The idea of perfection transpires through our own beings. Perfectionists do not only aim to do, but also to be perfect. But as we also know, being perfect is not only unachievable but can be seriously illusory. So we are damned to a cycle of aiming for perfection, not reaching it, and being harsh on ourselves for not being able to do so. Speak of masochism!

One of the biggest, if not the most common limiting belief among everyone, perfectionists and non-perfectionists.

Fear of failure can be debilitating (think procrastination, but not only). People may avoid taking risks or trying new things, which can limit their personal and professional growth. And this is really going the opposite way from what life is all about: personal growth... This fear can be particularly intense when individuals perceive that their performance will be evaluated or judged by others, as they worry about the potential consequences of not meeting their own expectations or standards. Believe it or not, we are sometimes our worst enemies!