Toxic Perfectionism
Toxic perfectionism is an unhealthy and destructive form of perfectionism characterized by an unrelenting pursuit of flawless outcomes, coupled with unrealistic expectations and a rigid adherence to standards.
Does this sound familiar to you? This specific trait very much resonates with me and is something that I strive to improve on every single day. Toxic perfectionism leads to not actually completing the goals that you set out to complete. Whether this is due to procrastination, focusing on the non-prioritized goals, or laboring over something that is insignificant, it will almost always hurt you in the long run.
An example of toxic perfectionism that might resonate with some of you reading this that use obsidian is having to complete every single backlink that you create. Just because you create a backlink doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to write something about it. You probably should if you want to have an organized second brain, but it really isn’t necessary. Sometimes you just don’t get to things and that is one of those Things to Accept in Life.
Ways to Combat Toxic Perfectionism
- Adopt “Good‑Enough” Goals: Shift your aim from flawless to “good enough”—set clear minimum standards and remind yourself progress beats perfection.
- This is a Core Investing Discipline tenant that is very similar to the idea of setting a price target. Do not shoot for the moon in your day to day, shoot for the Fatburger Milkshake.
- Time‑Box Your Work: Allocate a fixed block (e.g., 45 minutes) to tasks; when time’s up, stop fine‑tuning and move on.
- Challenge All‑or‑Nothing Thinking: Notice thoughts like “If this isn’t flawless, it’s a total failure.” Write them down and ask: “Is that really true?”
- Embrace Iteration & Feedback: Treat first drafts as drafts: share early, get input, then refine. Each version improves without expecting instant perfection.
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