Perfectionism and procrastination: getting started with small steps

If you put off a task because you want it to be perfect, you are not lazy. Fear of mistakes is often the reason you do not begin. The good news is that small steps reduce the pressure.

What is really happening

High standards can help. The problem starts when every task becomes a test of your worth. Then it is easier to delay than to risk an imperfect result, and delay brings guilt and even more pressure.

Practical steps

1. Split the task into parts you can finish in half an hour.
2. Use the five minute rule: work for just five minutes, then decide whether to continue.
3. Let the first draft be deliberately rough, because fixing is easier than inventing a perfect one.
4. Decide in advance what counts as good enough and when you will stop.
5. In the evening write down what you finished this week.

How to talk to yourself

Instead of I must be flawless, try the sentence I can start and fix it later. If you are harsh with yourself, imagine what you would say to a friend in the same situation.

If perfectionism or procrastination seriously affects work, study or mood, consider talking to a professional. Cognitive behavioural approaches can help.

Try this week: choose one task you keep postponing, write down a first step of two minutes and do it today. In the evening note what you managed to finish. Small repeated successes teach you that an imperfect start is not a disaster.

If you work in a team, tell a colleague when you plan to send the first version. An agreed deadline and feedback on a draft are often more useful than long solitary polishing.

Sources: Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust NHS Every Mind Matters.