Perfectionism is a blessing and a curse. We feel so good about ourselves because we can do it all—so we end up doing it all—becoming our own worst enemy.
Perfectionism and delegation are like oil and water. They simply don’t mix, so until you work on getting your perfectionist tendencies under control, your delegator will remain dormant.
The core problem is that we’ve smothered our delegator by convincing ourselves that there is nobody else to do the job like we can. Sometimes what we really mean is that we don’t trust anyone else to do it ‘right,’ as if we hold the magical power of doing every job right. But is this really true? No.
Perfection is Not Attainable
Striving for perfection can bring about depression, anxiety, stress, feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest, loss of appetite and it has even been known to lead to nervous breakdowns. Perfectionism will ultimately slow down your road to success in a big way.
According to the book The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, perfectionism is also a confidence killer. The book also reveals that success correlates more closely with confidence than with competence, meaning that in order to succeed it’s more important to be confident than it is to be competent. And because perfectionism tends to kill confidence, those who lack confidence may struggle to get ahead.
Empowering Your Delegator
Here’s the key—stop self-sabotaging your productivity and empower other people to do the things you don’t need to do. In other words, silence your perfectionist and empower your delegator.
There are many capable people in the world who can learn to perform the heroic tasks that you deem impossible for another human. Perhaps this is a universal truth that should be written on your mirror: “I am not perfect, and others can do what I can do.”
The faster you understand this truth and BELIEVE it, the better your life and your practice will become. Free yourself to focus on what you do best to ensure that your practice grows, that your clients are serviced well and that your confidence never gets impaired by perfectionism.
Want the Cure for Perfectionism?
If you suck at delegation, try the Stop, Start and Continue exercise. A worksheet is pictured below (and also available in the FPA Coaches Corner) to help you. It’s as simple as it seems. It’s one of my favorite productivity tools that I introduce to my coaching clients when needed because it can really make a strong impact.
Here’s how it goes:
First: list the things that you need to stop doing. Include all the things that are stealing your productivity away from what you need to be doing—both at work and home. List the specific activities that someone else could be doing. Nobody to delegate to? Maybe it’s time to hire someone or outsource the work.
Second: list the actions that you need to start doing, i.e. delegating more, walking, getting home earlier, using one calendar, eating better, you name it. What have you been meaning to get to?
Third: list the tasks that you should continue doing. If something is working, continue doing it. If you enjoy doing something so much that you hate to give it up, continue doing it. This list should include the tasks that ONLY you can do and don’t fit in the other two columns. By the end of this exercise, you will have clear direction. Then it’s time to act. Choose one item and take baby steps towards letting go of non-productive activities and starting new behaviors.
Having a hard time coming up with tasks to put on the sheet? Track your time for a week and see what you do that can be placed in one of the columns. You can use the free apps at www.Clockify.me or www.Toggl.com to track your time.
As a Productivity coach for financial advisers, Patty Kreamer coaches her clients to clear the clutter that blocks their success, take control of their time and get more done. Productivity is the result of everything she does. Patty is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author and owner of Productivity Uncorked, LLC.
Editor’s note: get more resources from Kreamer at the FPA Coaches Corner, where this post originally published. Also join us for Kreamer’s Coaches Corner Spotlight on April 28 at 4 p.m., Eastern here.
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