Is it possible to be lazy and successful at the same time?
Because she claims to be an “unapologetic lazy person” – and lemme tell ya, she’s crazy talented AND successful.
That convo with her got me thinking…
About perfectionism.
And why so many of us think we need to be perfect if we want to be successful.
Raise your hand if that’s a belief you hold deep down.
It’s ok. You can be honest. We’re all friends here. LOL
Perfectionists goes by many names:
- Type A.
- Overachiever.
- Purist.
Guess who made up those names?
Perfectionists. LOL
Here are some names we (oh shoot, ummm I mean “they”) don’t like to hear:
- Workaholic.
- Taskmaster.
- Micromanager.
After the lessons #Hackgate taught me already this year, perfectionism doesn’t pay off.
You see, I had my whole friggin’ year on lock.
All my launches.
My content fully mapped out for the first 3 months (plus a nice head start on Q2).
Strategically placed partnerships and collabs that were really gonna move the needle early.
And then my social accounts got hacked.
Not just hacked.
Obliterated.
Which means allllll that awesome planning I did?
Bye bye.
The reformed perfectionist part of me had a total meltdown.
And then I remembered… “You got this.”
So I went into super pivot mode – and within a couple days, had a rejiggered plan that would still help me make progress on my goals.
But had I not gone to Perfectionist Rehab (if that’s not a place, it totally should be), my freakout would have lasted way longer. And actually tanked my goals way more.
So I thought today we could all take a little perfectionist quiz (cuz I know you wanna get that A+ LOL).
And then I can show you how to go after your big goals and dreams… without the trap of perfectionism. Because it’s possible, my friend.
QUIZ: Are you a perfectionist?
Let’s get real… how often do you procrastinate?
Rarely – done is better than perfect in my book.
Pretty often – but then I realize it took me way less time once I did it.
Often – but I refuse to admit that publicly. LOL
When you have an important piece of work to finish or turn in, how much time do you spend reworking it?
Meh, not much – if there are changes or errors, someone will let me know.
The right amount of time – according to me. *big smiley face*
Too much – I friggin’ know it but I can’t help myself.
If someone calls you a perfectionist (or any of the synonyms we already talked about), how do you respond?
Laugh – “I mean, have we met? You are the only person to ever say that to me.”
A little embarrassed – “I guess I am in some ways, but this is important to me so I care a lot.”
Defensive – “No I’m not. This is just how it’s supposed to be.”
Ready for your results?
If you answered B or C more than once, you’ve got some perfectionist in you.
Yeah, Cs, I see you getting pissed at me, but it is what it is. #ownyourshiz LOL
Look, perfectionism by itself isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I mean look at Martha Stewart.
Girlfriend has made an empire out of being perfect (although her being besties with Snoop just tickles me to no end).
Perfectionism becomes a problem when it stops you (or even slows you down too much) from achieving your goals.
Because here’s the real deal truth…
Perfectionism is fear.
I love Liz Gilbert. I mean, who doesn’t.
And this quote in her book Big Magic hit me hard when I read it.
She essentially says, “Perfectionism is fear in fancy shoes and a mink coat. Pretending to be elegant when actually it’s just terrified.”
I mean UGH. Talk about a #truthbomb.
We all have fear… but perfectionists have a particular kind of “fancy” fear that prides itself on being righteous.
And it all boils down to this…
- Fear of not being good enough.
- Fear of putting yourself out there.
- Fear of receiving the abundance you actually want.
Liz goes on to say that finishing work isn’t the worst offender of perfectionism…
Often perfectionism stops people from even STARTING their most meaningful work. Which is a damn shame if you ask me.
So here’s your (not so?) simple hack to put your perfectionism aside when it gets in the way of your goals and dreams…
- Do it scared.
- Do it anyway.
- Show the eff up and just do it.
Commit to B- work, as Brooke Castillo from The Life Coach School says.
You have something amazing to offer the world.
But no one’s gonna see it or be impacted by it…
If you never put it out there.
What you think is utter crap is inspiring to someone else.
Want to see this in action?
Do one of those group painting classes with friends.
A friend of mine (who swears she’s not artsy) did one with a group of us. And hers was beautiful. The best of all of us by a long shot.
And she thought it was total trash.
As in, literally was gonna throw it in the bin.
Because she’s a perfectionist. Her art didn’t exactly match the teacher’s – and she believed that she wasn’t creative in *that* way – so she saw her art as trash.
So I wanna know… what “art” of yours do you play down because you think it’s not good enough?
What skill or talent… what gift do you have to offer the world… that you’re holding back on? Or not even starting – because you have told yourself this lie that it’s not good enough… that YOU’RE not good enough?
And the next time that perfectionist streak creeps in… ask yourself: “What would happen if I just let this go out as is?”
This takes practice. But I know you can do it.
Instead of having that perfectionist freakout… think of the person who needs your light right now.
And they’re not getting it if you keep it to yourself.
They don’t need perfect.
They need you. Right now.
Being perfect is frigging exhausting. And it doesn’t move the needle.
Know what does?
- Consistent progress.
- Taking imperfect action.
- Showing up and putting in the work – even if it’s not A+ work.
Now I mentioned at the beginning of this article that I had to go into hard core pivot mode.
And that it impacted my Reclaim Your Time Challenge.
But it didn’t shut me down.
This 5-day online challenge will show ya:
- How to organize your calendar so when shiz hits the fan, you can pivot quickly and get back on track right away.
- Sneaky ways to do less and achieve more – by understanding where your time goes and how to put it into productivity mode.
- The best way to make consistent progress toward your goals – and how to prioritize your schedule so it happens.
And a whole lot more.
This Challenge is open to both perfectionists and recovering perfectionists alike. LOL
XO,
Hayley
PS: If you’ve got a perfectionist in your life, you should def invite them to come with you.
First of all, it will totally appeal to their innate desire to do more and do it better…
But it will also show them exactly how to create more space for themselves. To relax, rewind… and unclench. LOL
Actual footage of how a perfectionist goes through life:
If you feel personally attacked, you’re probably a C.
So settle down. You know I love ya. XO