The 3 P’s: Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Paralysis
This post is about a trend of modern society and human condition. Perfectionism, a precondition for many ambitions, can be a workplace-killer. This post aims to help the reader understand the habit of perfectionism in order to take control of it. Procrastination often accompanies perfectionism but can be overcome if one is aware that procrastination leads to paralysis (a lack of progression). Underlying causes are analyzed in detail and solutions are provided for both procrastination and paralysis. The three P’s are presented as a solution but the most important factor is to learn how to grant yourself more freedom to act. Procrastination is then not so frightening. As one progresses, one can take on more projects, adopt a different attitude towards perfectionism and embrace the need for personal growth.
The world of work has been changing rapidly since the second half of the 20th century (Korzeniewski, 2010). The introduction of information technology and the Internet has enabled many types of work which were previously impossible or only viable in very limited circumstances (Korzeniewski, 2010). Around the same time there was a considerable increase in knowledge about personal development through psychology and human resources management fields. Management and behavioral sciences became popular in the 1960’s and the field of psychology has spread into the workplaces since then. These changes had an effect on people’s behavior.
In our culture, many people have a tendency to follow instructions, to help others and to have a high regard for rules and regulations (Haynes & Heaphy, 2011). This can become somewhat of a hindrance to perfectionism as well as procrastination (Haynes & Heaphy, 2011). This might also state why human progress slows down by perfectionism and procrastination. Procrastination is defined as “a chronic pattern of delay that is incompatible with task completion” (Heatherton & Nichols, 1991). It is a “disorder” which leads to lack of progress and task completion (Heatherton & Nichols, 1991). Procrastination is related to perfectionism as it is often used as a tool for self-improvement and improvement of performance. Both are used increasingly by the workforce (Korzeniewski, 2010) and their effect can become very negative in the long term.
Perfectionism, on the other hand, seems like a positive trait (Korzeniewski, 2010). Perfectionism is defined as “self-imposed standards of achievement that are highly demanding: being too concerned about making mistakes or being inferior” (Goldstein & Shapiro, 1987). High achievers may view perfectionism as a critical aspect of their success (Korzeniewski, 2010). The danger of perfectionism comes in the form of paralysis. Efforts to avoid all imperfections can result in the inability to accept anything except “perfection” which can result in paralysis (Goldstein & Shapiro, 1987).
In some cases, these two traits can be viewed as “evil twins”, especially when one is extreme and the other is not. However, it seems that there are degrees by which such traits influence performance and personal development. A study was conducted on 664 engineering students from two universities in United States. One group was given ethical orientation tests which included the perfectionism and procrastination trait and the other group was given non-ethical orientation tests. The results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups. The perfectionist group scored lower in technical exams, but not significantly in mathematics and language. The deficient procrastinator also had slightly better results compared to the deficient perfectionist, but with a small effect size which is relatively unimportant (Korzeniewski, 2010).
In another study conducted on student achieving test scores at two universities in China, perfectionism was found to be positively correlated with performance in terms of getting grades (Pearlson, 2007). This does not seem to be the case for procrastination however (Korzeniewski, 2010). Procrastination was found to negatively affect performance at least in some situations. In a study conducted on procrastination and perfectionism with a sample of over 250 students, it was found that nearly 70% of students with perfectionism had working income which was less than 10% of students without perfectionism (Korzeniewski, 2010). This is attributed to the fact that they procrastinated due to the fear of making mistakes. The same study also stated that procrastination leads to paralysis by isolating oneself from others and reducing social interactions.
If one is aware of the drawbacks of perfectionism and procrastination, one might accept that there is a need to take action. This could be as simple as not having strict deadlines imposed on one’s work. The person could then choose what he/she wants to do and make time for it. The other thing which can help to free oneself from perfectionism is to be aware of it in the first place (Korzeniewski, 2010). The awareness can prevent procrastination and would act as a precondition for improvement or for taking action. Procrastination is also known to affect workplace performance and in some cases may necessitate further measures (Haynes & Heaphy, 2011).
Perfectionism and procrastination are related issues and both seem to be becoming increasingly prevalent in our culture. The definition of perfectionism here seems to be different than the one in literature. The definition used here is more of perfectionism as a trait with two subtraits, procrastination and paralysis by analysis. Procrastination was found to be related to perfectionism directly in only some circumstances. Both traits may affect workplace performance where procrastination creates immobility or lack of progress which is sometimes hindering (Korzeniewski, 2010). In the long run, either trait can lead to reduction in motivation as well as effectiveness at work (Korzeniewski, 2010). Procrastination is often addressed as a trait which is not desired because it causes productivity to drop.
Another study with a sample of nearly 400 students found that perfectionism was positively correlated with procrastination (Pearlson, 2007). This also finds a correlation between procrastination and less productivity (Pearlson, 2007). Perfectionism can lead to procrastination due to the sense of fear or insecurity. However, on the other hand, procrastination could lead to perfectionism based on not being able to accept imperfection or mistakes. It was stated in some studies that perfectionists become paralyzed by the fear of failure (Korzeniewski, 2010).
References
Chadwick, P.K. (2009). Perfectionism, procrastination and the problems of progress: self-regulated learning in the study of academic procrastination. Educational Research and Evaluation, 15(2), 103 – 117.
Goldstein, A., & Shapiro, A.D. (1987). Perfectionism: Theory, research and treatment. NY: Guilford Press, pp17-18
Haynes, R., & Heaphy, E. (2011). Investigating the relationship between perfectionism and procrastination in university students using structural equation modeling analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57(1), 94 - 105. doi: 10.
Conclusion
Perfectionism and procrastination are two traits that do not appear to be of much value in the workplace. It is essential that these two traits are viewed as negatively affecting performance and one should take action to avoid them. The biggest thing which could help a perfectionist is awareness so that they can realize the issue at hand before it becomes more serious. Procrastination, on the other hand, is usually a trait which affects work performance and should be addressed in some form. It is important to understand that procrastination may not always lead to perfectionism though. Perfectionism can cause one to delay tasks or slow down progress but does not completely preclude it either (Korzeniewski, 2010).