Are you a perfectionist? While aiming for perfection is necessary in some professions, in many cases it may actually be detrimental to your performance. Combating perfectionism ultimately comes down to learning how to start—and how to finish—a project. Here’s how.
 
How to start. Perfectionism often leads to procrastination. To overcome it, you need to get comfortable with imperfect first drafts. Remember, you just need to start somewhere. Practice creating rough outlines, dictating your thoughts out loud, or talking through ideas with a trusted colleague. Once you’ve mastered the art of starting, you can begin iterating and refining your ideas.
 
How to finish. If you tend to find yourself in an endless cycle of revisions, lean on a trusted colleague, manager, or collaborator for feedback. It’s important to do this at every stage of the creative process. It’s also crucial to understand the expectations for your project. Sometimes, timeliness and efficiency are a higher priority than absolute perfection—and in those cases, you need to get comfortable delivering an imperfect product.
This tip is adapted from “Don’t Let Perfectionism Slow You Down,” by Rajani Katta
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