Is perfectionism preventing you from taking action?

Beth and I have been having some spirited conversations about the way I like to take immediate action. I’ll have an idea and want to act on it right away. She prefers thorough planning before beginning. For me, too much planning can be frustrating. For her, not enough planning is frustrating.

You’ve heard the idiom “Work smarter, not harder?” I once had a mentor who countered that by saying, “No, work the right way.” He recommended taking the right actions for the best results. If you just decide what you’re going to do in the New Year, very little happens. You have to decide AND take action. You also have to take the kinds of actions most likely to generate the best results.

Here’s the formula: Decide AND Take Action, using the Right Actions.

Okay, so right according to what? If you apply a good strategy, that’s going to increase your results. For us, determining this strategy becomes a dance between planning and action steps. If I have too long a meeting without taking action, I feel like I’m wasting my time. Keep in mind that I’m a 7 on the Enneagram, and Beth is a 6. I believe everything will work out, so I don’t plan for potential problems. She is concerned about being responsible, doing the right thing, not letting people down and avoiding potential obstacles. So, she uses planning to avoid problems and maximize time. When it comes to my (not our) business, my way of working, ultimately, is that I often don’t ask her for input because my style is that I tend to just act. These days, knowing that my future is shorter, I am more open to planning because my time is more valuable.

I believe that “good enough is good enough.” I’ve seen how perfectionism can lead to spending way too much time planning. For many perfectionists, there’s not enough return on investment to match the time spent “perfecting.” As you look at your goals and plans for this year, it’s important to recognize that if you focus on not disappointing others, you might disappoint yourself by not acting.

I prefer to take action—ideally the right action—and then adjust as needed.

How about you?