All auteurs pride themselves on the quality of their craft. However, the underlying motivations for the spirit of perfection varies from person to person. For some, it is the thrill of creative exceptionalism. As the adage goes: “pleasure puts perfection in the work”. A mason derives joy from the structural integrity of his/her brickwork, an artist by the creative interplay of colors on his/her canvas. For others, perfectionism represents an intrinsic part of their character, where the standard of their output is reflective of their virtues and beliefs. Conversely, others are trying to impress their high-ranking counterparts in a bid to progress their careers.

Regardless, all these archetypes share one thing in common; an obsessive desire to be perfect in everything! For many, typing away behind the dimly lit glow of our computer screens in the wee hours of the night has become a norm. Settling for anything less than perfection is not seen as an option!

However, there is a fine line between progress, and perfection. Many consider them to be two opposing sides of the same coin. That’s unfortunately not the case. Being overly pedantic can in fact, not just hinder your progress, but your company’s as well! But where does one draw the line? There are two easy ways to determine whether your quest for perfection is either beneficial, or detrimental to your progress:

Priorities, priorities!!

Picture yourself as a copywriter. You’ve been given the urgent-task of proof-reading a 3000-word long feature in an hour. Instinctively, as a perfectionist, the deadline is clearly insubstantial! Proofreading is a tedious process that demands your utmost attention, and a minimum of three hours!

This is a realistic scenario that is likely to emerge in the workplace, where the urgency of the task takes precedence over absolute perfection. Prior to engaging in a task, it’s always important to ask yourself why you are performing it in the first place. There is an opportunity cost to perfection, and that cost comes with failing to satisfy deadlines. It’s a delicate balancing act that requires your intuitive judgement: Which is more important? Perfection, or progress? It’s a constant push-and-pull between the two!

In the proofreading scenario, the publication’s progress is contingent on the timely completion of your core deliverables. Being strapped for time, you must accept that there are restrictions tied to having tight deadlines.  Instead of harping on those limitations, do the best you can within those boundaries; that is realistic definition of what perfection looks like.

However, it is worth noting that the answer to “your why” differs from one situation to the next. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; each scenario calls for your pragmatic consideration. Your mileage may vary!

Are you okay?

Health, wealth, and happiness is the holy trinity of workplace aspirations. Unfortunately, striving for perfection in all of our endeavours imposes long-term costs on the “health” and “happiness” categories. Perfectionists stubbornly see work quality as directly proportional to the time they’ve invested, excluding negative externalities such as physical and mental exhaustion. This is a short-term worldview that fails to see the “big picture”.

According to the law of diminishing returns, for every additional input, the marginal value of returns per input declines; the more time we invest in a task, the fewer rewards we yield in terms of quality! Working overtime may not always be as productive as perfectionists think.  In my honest opinion, it is akin to self-sabotage. Undertaking too many responsibilities, from accounting to marketing is difficult as is! Pair that with an unrealistic yearning to be a master at everything, and you’ve set yourself on a collision course with total burnout. The accrual of fatigue from sleepless nights, and compounded stress will diminish your focus, your self-imposed standards slowly fading away. The total utility derived from doubling-down on short-term perfection, is far less than if you had worked sustainably in the long-term. This is clearly not viable in the long haul.

If you find yourself entrapped in such a predicament, ask yourself the following questions: Are you doing alright? Are you still finding enjoyment in your work? If you’ve answered no, perhaps it is time to start looking at things more broadly.

We should all acknowledge that we are fallible creatures with natural limitations. The Pareto Principle states that roughly 80% of outcomes comes from 20% of its causes. Sometimes, it pays to take a step back, applying the brakes. Working smarter always beats working harder!

An Alternative Solution!

If you find yourself overwhelmed by an innumerable slew of tasks, trying to be perfect across all dimensions is all but possible!  But such a conundrum presents itself as a golden opportunity: Why not outsource work to a virtual assistant (VA)?

If you can’t land on the sun, you might as well settle for the moon. You can’t be perfect in all that you do, but you can be perfect in the things that matter! Don’t let “time-wasting” or “dispassionate” tasks detract from your fundamental responsibilities; focus on what counts! Stop trying to be a jack of all trades, but a master of some!

From secretarial duties to financial paperwork, there is an abundance of time-consuming tasks that virtual assistants are formally trained to perform. These back-end tasks can be effortlessly systemized with the assistance of a VA.

Leveraging our innovative S.O.S process, our hardworking team at Hippo Business Services sifts through a list of viable candidates, picking one that best meets your comprehensive list of needs and wants. You do the talking, and we do the hiring!

Contact our team at HIPPO today, and we’ll be ready to heed the call!