15 Perfectionist’s Struggles
Everyone has a part of them inside which is a perfectionist, it could be only for certain things or just minor stuff. But then there are people who are a complete perfectionist, who wants everything to be perfect, regardless of their exam results, their house, their clothing, everything. Perfectionists might seem like they only occupy a small population on Earth, but they are actually more than you think. Here are some of the struggles of a perfectionist that they can relate too well with, and people who aren’t will never understand.
1. Not being able to do something else without completing one task.
Perfectionists love having their tasks done, especially if they do it in a way considered perfect to them. However, a downside to this part of them is that they are not too flexible, and are not incline to multitask. If they need to get the dishes done, they need it done before they can move on to laundry and throw out the trash. If they do something else they would lose track of what they were working on before, and might even need to start over again.
2. Exhausting themselves due to having high standards for themselves.
Perfectionists have extremely high standards for themselves, to the point that it is actually scary. Some people just want their grades to be perfect, some want to have the best body they can ever achieve, some just want to keep their house clean and tidy, and then there are the perfectionists, who have all the traits the others have on being perfect. It can be very draining for them, but at the same time, the constant need for them to improve themselves can also be an advantage.
3. Exhausting themselves to live up to people’s standards, as they are known to do things perfectly.
Perfectionists don’t just do things perfectly because they themselves have high standards. Because people know them to be flawless, they make sure they are living up to others’ standards so that they would not let others down, or make people think that they are getting worse. This constant need to be the best in things could actually exhaust perfectionists so much that they might even get ill physically or mentally.
4. Procrastinating almost everything because they are always finding the right time to do things.
Perfectionists are the kings and queens of procrastination, and they are for a few reasons: 1, they are always finding the right time to do things; 2, they are always changing and improving things despite having completed something; 3, their motivation usually kicks in at the very last minute. The weird thing is, despite how they always procrastinate, their work still turns out to be flawless in the end, as they do not want others to know how bad they are with time.
5. Constantly feeling like their partner need to work more on themselves.
Perfectionists don’t just have the tendency to perfect their house, their work, their appearance, and more, and also love seeing the people they love to be the best version of themselves. This usually drives their partners nuts because no one likes to be fixed, and that might even start an argument. Although perfectionists can be harsh, they actually mean well to their loved ones. They just want them to show their full potential so that they deserve what they should.
6. Or have a serious problem in relationships with people in general.
Perfectionists do not just want their partners to be the best they can be, they even want others to be perfect like they and try to use words or actions to change them. These people include their family, friends, and sometimes even brief acquaintance. They dislike it when people do not put in all their effort in trying to be the person they should be, and they get angry at people for that. People usually get fed up with this trait of perfectionists, but they only mean well.
7. Wasting time tidying up things when it is not necessary.
Although perfectionists are unable to multitask between works, they are, however, able to pause at their work to perfect some small details. For example, when a perfectionist is working on something on their computer, they would unintentionally tidy and clean up their table before continuing their work. Sometimes they even do things that aren’t necessary, such as remembering they need to clean their pantry and then ending up procrastinating their work.
8. Getting frustrated at small details.
When perfectionists are trying to get their work done, they can be focused so intensely that they wouldn’t know what is happening in their surroundings. But, while being capable of so concentrated, they also tend to notice all the small details in their work and this could usually get in their way of getting stuff done in time. They would get very bothered by little things as they want every single detail to be perfect. Thus this often causes them to waste too much time.
9. Feeling like they themselves have too much to work on.
Perfectionists do not only want their work, the people around them, and their living standards to be perfect. Their inner critics can even get harsh on themselves. They are constantly pinpointing their own flaws to themselves, and are always trying to improve themselves. But sometimes they do get to the point where they bash themselves so hard that they fall into the depression pit. Although they seem to have full control of their work and living, they are actually weak in controlling their own emotions.
10. Having a different standard from others.
Perfectionists sometimes feel like an alien compared to the people around them. For example, during a meeting, everyone agreed on an idea, but perfectionists tend to see the problem with that idea and will try to provide more ideas that would work better. This often leads to people getting annoyed at them for being stubborn or even bossy, although they really do mean well and just want the best for everyone.
11. Worrying about small things.
As perfectionists have the power of noticing tiny details, they also do worry about small things that shouldn’t even be bothered. When they are working on something, they tend to think of all the small things that would lead to their work not being able to finish, or does not look perfect, or small things like that, when in actuality it is their mind playing games with them. This would cause them to take up more time to worry about things when in actuality they have nothing to be worried about.
12. Thinking of things they have to do but they’re actually lying in bed.
As much as perfectionists love having their work done, they also tend to procrastinate a lot. They love to plan things out when they are doing something that will lead to them having the perfect result they dream of, but a lot of those times when they are planning things, they are only thinking it in their head, and not actually doing things they should be doing. This is why perfectionists are known to be dreamers but not doers.
13. Making to-do lists but having difficulty completing them.
As mentioned in the point above, perfectionists love to plan things out so that they can follow their own way to make things perfect the way they want them to be. Aside from just plainly thinking of the plan, perfectionists do love writing it down so that they do not forget about anything, and they especially love making to-do lists. However, being the dreamers they are, it is very difficult for them to actually complete their to-do lists as they are usually caught up with small details along the way.
14. Doing personality tests are a nightmare for them as the possibilities are too much.
There are so many different types of personality tests out there and all of them have their own assessment and results. There is a portion of people who trust them a lot and a portion who do not, and then there are the perfectionists who try to avoid it at all cost. When perfectionists are doing personality tests, they usually get a lot of possibilities and they might be categorized as several different types. This is terrible for their indecisiveness and that would really mess their head up.
15. They are a pro at making excuses.
Perfectionists are so good at making excuses, they’d probably have a book of excuses they could use at different occasions. Perfectionists usually give people excuses especially if they have to leave their house because they are too caught up with their work that they prefer not wasting the time being outside and not being productive, which is an irony as they are not the most productive type of people. They also love giving excuses as they love to be in their own thoughts of what to do and do not like it when they are interrupted when with others.
These are some of the struggles perfectionists have that others do not. If you are a perfectionist, do you realize you struggle with these things very often? Or if you aren’t but have friends who are, do you notice how they act around you that might seem odd for you? Although perfectionists seem like people who aren’t the nicest, most of the time they do mean well. So just take some time to understand your perfectionist friends as you do not know what they are really struggling with.
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