How Perfectionists Get Things Done often involves navigating the complex landscape of their own high standards. Perfectionism frequently paralyzes high achievers, trapping them in an endless loop of refining and tweaking, ultimately preventing them from reaching completion. However, the opposite reaction – giving up altogether – can be equally detrimental. When the fear of failure, the anxiety of change, or even the apprehension of success becomes overwhelming, abandoning a task can feel like the safest possible option. Instead of pushing forward, some individuals resort to avoiding task completion entirely, through procrastination, delaying decisions, or simply walking away before reaching the finish line. This fear of finishing manifests in various forms. Some start projects with immense enthusiasm but abandon them midway, paralyzed by the fear of not meeting their own lofty expectations. Others indefinitely delay completion, terrified of external judgment, believing that if they don’t finish, no one can criticize the outcome. The cruel irony is that the longer the delay, the heavier and more daunting the unfinished task becomes, perpetuating a self-defeating cycle of avoidance and stress.
I’ve personally experienced this challenge while writing my book, Timebox. For months, I meticulously refined the content, tweaking chapters, adjusting the flow, and constantly seeking the “perfect” version. Yet, the more I clung to it, the more anxious I felt. It seemed safer to keep working on it indefinitely than to face the potential judgment of others. This prolonged delay did not serve me; instead, it kept me ensnared in a perpetual state of “not being finished.”
One of my coachees once articulated this perfectly: “I keep tweaking my work because I know people will have opinions about it once I finish. But the more I hold onto it, the more anxious I get. It feels safer to keep working on it forever than to let it go and face feedback.”
The good news is that breaking free from this cycle is entirely possible.
The Strategy for Overcoming the Fear of Finishing: How Perfectionists Get Things Done
The fundamental key to moving forward is a crucial mindset shift: from an obsession with perfection to a focus on consistent progress. Instead of endlessly overworking tasks or avoiding them altogether, concentrate on setting realistic expectations for your output. Not everything needs to be flawless. In fact, embracing the mantra that “done is better than perfect” can be incredibly liberating.
One of the most effective methods for achieving this is by strategically using time limits. When you establish clear timeframes for tasks, you essentially guarantee their completion – not because they’ve reached an arbitrary standard of perfection, but because you’ve made a firm commitment to finishing them within the allotted time. This mechanism helps you disengage from endless tweaking and propels you forward.
To further solidify this approach, consider each task as “finished for now”—not necessarily forever. Once you’ve genuinely put forth your best effort within the defined time limit, consciously let it go. This doesn’t preclude the possibility of revisiting or refining it later, but it empowers you to move on to the next item without feeling burdened by the need to perfect everything at once.
Break the Cycle: How Perfectionists Get Things Done
The fear of failure or criticism can trigger an instinct to disengage, subtly convincing you that abandoning a task is the most effective way to avoid discomfort. However, this avoidance strategy offers only temporary relief. In the long run, it inevitably leads to profound frustration, regret, and a persistent state of unmet goals.
To effectively break this pervasive pattern, I often remind myself of the poignant lyrics from the song “Could Have Been Me” by Halsey. It serves as a powerful reminder that allowing fear to dictate your actions invariably leads to missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential. Completing a task – even if it’s imperfect in your eyes – possesses far greater power and impact than leaving it perpetually undone.
When fear inevitably strikes, the crucial step is to acknowledge it as a normal human emotion. But critically, recognize that you can still choose to move forward. Implement clear time limits, maintain a steadfast focus on consistent progress, and embrace the inherent value of completion. By diligently applying these strategies, you will not only finish a greater number of tasks but also cultivate the essential resilience and confidence required to bravely tackle the next challenge that comes your way.
Deliver or Share the Work: A Key Step for How Perfectionists Get Things Done
To truly signify completion, clearly define the final action that definitively marks the task as finished. For example:
- Sent: If it’s an email or a report, the act of sending it unequivocally signals completion.
- Shared: If it’s a presentation or a project, sharing it with the intended audience or a manager completes the task.
- Archived: If it’s a personal task, storing it in its final, designated state (e.g., filing a document or saving a creative piece) signifies closure.
For instance, instead of merely setting a timebox on your calendar as “work on this report,” refine it with specific completion-oriented steps:
- “Spend 90 minutes drafting the report.”
- “Log additional ideas in the parking lot.”
- “Email the draft to my manager by the end of the day.”
The more specific and actionable your definitions of completion are, the better you’ll understand what to focus on to genuinely get the task done. This approach ensures you remain laser-focused on the absolute essentials while intentionally leaving room for further refinement later if and only if it’s truly needed.
✨ Pro Tip: “Finished for now is better than never finished at all.”
Plan Daily for Realistic Success and Expectations: How Perfectionists Get Things Done
While weekly planning can make everything appear theoretically achievable, daily planning firmly grounds your schedule in reality. For perfectionists, this granular approach is exceptionally valuable – it allows you to precisely factor in existing commitments, accommodate last-minute requests, and realistically assess your actual energy levels when setting daily expectations. By meticulously planning day by day, you consciously avoid overloading yourself and thereby ensure that your goals are both realistic and genuinely attainable. To effectively cultivate this powerful habit, schedule a dedicated daily planning session – either at the end of the workday to prepare for the following day or at the beginning of the day to meticulously set priorities. Critically, set realistic expectations for both quality (What level of detail is truly expected? Who is going to review it?) and quantity (consider the actual amount of time you have available to complete the task).
This disciplined approach is precisely how I overcame my own fear of finishing my book. It wasn’t about achieving absolute perfection. It was, instead, about consistently moving forward, making tangible progress, and, eventually, bravely sharing my work with others. By diligently adopting this mindset, I successfully finished my book—and you absolutely can finish your projects too.
Credit: Forbes.com
