Specialist Dr. Yaprak Arslan Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist

Even when we want to do something, sometimes we just can’t seem to get started, or we don’t feel ready to begin.

Sometimes what makes it difficult to start isn’t the thought that we won’t be able to do the task, but the worry that we won’t be able to do it as well as we’d like. Particularly with tasks that are important to us, the thought that the outcome might fall short of our expectations can lead to procrastination.

The thought, “If I can’t do it very well, I might as well not do it at all.” can also make it difficult to take action.

Perfectionism is often associated with meticulousness, high standards and the drive to do better. However, another aspect of perfectionism is struggling to accept what is ‘good enough’

Perfectionism does not always mean working harder

The problem is not that we care about the work we do, want to do it well, or set high standards for ourselves. Research on perfectionism also shows that high personal standards must be distinguished from characteristics such as excessive anxiety about making mistakes, constant doubt about one’s performance, and harsh self-evaluation.

Wanting to do a job well is not the same as feeling compelled to do it exceptionally well.

As standards become stricter, tolerance for making mistakes, leaving things incomplete, or achieving a result below expectations may diminish. For some people, a performance that falls short of expectations may not merely result in disappointment regarding the task itself, but may also lead to feelings of inadequacy.

When this happens, the pressure surrounding the task increases and it can become difficult to even begin.

“If it’s not going to be perfect, it might as well not be done at all”

One of the thought patterns seen in perfectionism is the ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset.

“Something must be very good or it is no good at all.”

Yet in everyday life, many of the things we do fall somewhere between these two extremes. A presentation may be good but still have some shortcomings. A first draft may not be exactly as we’d like, but it can improve as we work on it. A decision we make may have both advantages and disadvantages.

When perfectionist expectations rise, it can become harder to accept this middle ground.

A person may start to think about the outcome before they have even begun:

“What if it isn’t as good as I want it to be?”

Thus, a task that has not yet been undertaken may begin to bear the weight of high expectations even before it has started.

Why might perfectionism and procrastination occur together?

At first glance, perfectionism and procrastination may seem to be opposites. We might expect a perfectionist to work harder and to complete their tasks on time and without errors.

However, not all aspects of perfectionism are equally linked to procrastination. Research suggests that more dysfunctional perfectionist traits—such as intense anxiety about making mistakes, constant doubt about one’s performance, and overly critical self-evaluation—may be associated with procrastination.

Starting a task also means facing the outcome that will result. The outcome may not be as good as you’d like; you might make a mistake, or you might not find what you’ve done good enough.

Procrastination, on the other hand, delays facing these possibilities for a little while longer.

For this reason, procrastination can provide short-term relief. However, the task does not disappear. As time runs out, the pressure mounts and the person’s self-criticism may kick in:

“I’ve left it to the last minute again.”

“Why can’t I seem to get started?”

“If I’d started earlier, it wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

Thus, a cycle may develop:

High expectations → fear of not performing well → procrastination → short-term relief → time pressure → self-criticism → it becoming even harder to get started

When does preparation turn into procrastination?

Perfectionism does not always manifest itself explicitly as ‘it must be perfect’.

Sometimes it presents itself through thoughts that seem quite reasonable:

“I’ll do a bit more research.”

“I’ll get it completely clear in my head first.”

“I’ll start when I have more time.”

“I need to feel a bit more prepared.”

Of course, research, preparation and planning are essential for many tasks. However, if the preparation keeps dragging on and you never actually get round to taking action, it may have become, without you realising it, part of the procrastination process.

Because getting started often requires accepting a certain amount of uncertainty.

We may not know everything. Our first attempt might not turn out as we’d hoped. We may need to change, correct or try again later.

Allowing for the fact that the initial version of something may be incomplete or in need of improvement is also a natural part of the process.

Is procrastination always a sign of laziness?

Someone who simply cannot bring themselves to take action may, over time, begin to view themselves as ‘lazy’, ‘undisciplined’ or ‘lacking in willpower’.

However, there is no single reason for procrastination. Many factors can play a part, such as difficulties with concentration and planning, anxiety, low motivation, or finding the task difficult or tedious. Perfectionist expectations may also be one of these.

For this reason, rather than simply thinking “Why am I not starting?”, the question “What is making it difficult for me to start?” may be more illuminating.

Sometimes we procrastinate because we do not want to do a task.

At other times, the opposite may be true: the task is so important to us that the fear of not being able to do it as we’d like makes it difficult to take action.

From the outside, both may appear to be procrastination. However, the underlying reasons are not the same.

Making room for what is ‘good enough’

This does not mean relaxing perfectionist expectations, abandoning standards or disregarding the work done.

We can compare this to the tension our muscles need to be able to move. To move, our muscles need a certain amount of tension. Neither too loose nor too tight…

Our expectations are a bit like that too. Having no expectations at all might not spur us into action; whilst expectations that are too rigid can restrict our scope for action.

The aim is not to do away with standards, but to be flexible enough to allow for movement.

There is a significant difference between wanting to do something well and only taking action when we are certain we can do it very well.

Being more flexible does not mean saying, ‘It doesn’t matter anyway’. It means continuing to take a task seriously whilst also allowing room for the possibility that it might not be perfect.

The first draft may be incomplete. A decision may be made without knowing all the possibilities. Something we do may be corrected later. Sometimes we may make mistakes.

These things do not devalue the work done. They are natural parts of learning, creating and making progress.

Because more often than not, something becoming good is not down to it being good from the very start; it is made possible by starting, trying, correcting where necessary and carrying on.

Perfectionism sometimes reduces the options to two:

Do it perfectly or not at all.

Yet sometimes, making progress is possible by allowing things to be ‘good enough’.