Why Perfectionism Isn't Perfect
And How to Break Free
Studies show that perfectionist college students often get worse grades than their "good enough" classmates.
This makes no sense. Shouldn't trying harder lead to better results?
Nope.
Researchers found that perfectionists turn in fewer assignments. They spend so long perfecting the first project that they miss the deadline for the second one.
Meanwhile, "good enough" students turn in every assignment. Imperfect, but complete.
Guess who learns more by the end of the semester?
Here's what perfectionism actually does:
It moves the goalpost every time you score.
You ship a feature without bugs.
Instead of celebrating, you think "That took too long."
You get promoted.
Instead of feeling proud, you worry "I don't deserve this."
You solve a hard problem.
Instead of satisfaction, you feel "Anyone could have done that."
The bar doesn't stay put. It moves higher with every win.
People think perfectionists are super productive.
They're often the opposite.
Why? Because starting something means risking that it won't be perfect.
It's better to do nothing than to submit code that might have bugs. Better to miss the deadline than show work that could be criticized.
This isn't laziness. It's fear disguised as high standards.
Perfectionists sleep worse and stress more.
Research links perfectionism to anxiety, depression, and burnout
They achieve things that look impressive from the outside. But inside, nothing ever feels good enough.
Dr. Keith Gaynor's research shows that perfectionists don't have high self-esteem. They have conditional self-esteem. They only feel good about themselves when they perform perfectly.
But perfect doesn't exist.
There's a difference between excellence and perfectionism:
Excellence says: "I want to do great work."
Perfectionism says: "I have to be perfect or I'm worthless."
Excellence celebrates progress. Perfectionism only sees flaws.
Excellence learns from mistakes. Perfectionism is terrified of them.
You can have high standards without perfectionism.
You can care about quality without tying it to your self-worth.
You can push yourself, without punishing yourself.
Aim high.
But don’t let your self-worth hang on the result.
You’re not the bug you missed.
You’re not the task you postponed.
You’re not the line of code that didn’t compile.
You’re allowed to grow, without being flawless.
I used to chase perfect results. Then I looked back at my old work and thought, “This isn’t even close to perfect.” I could do way better now. So why suffer for perfection, when consistent, good-enough work still leads to growth, but without driving yourself freaking nuts.
Perfectionism feels like a performance enhancer, but it actually works like a limiter. What stood out here is how it turns progress into punishment. One thing I’d add is that perfectionists often struggle with delegation too, not just delivery. When your bar is unrealistic, trusting others becomes impossible. And that trust gap slows everything down.