Perfectionists Stubbornly Refuse To Outsource

… well, that is until they get exhausted, burned out, and haven’t slept a wink in a week.

Perfectionists are some of the most pigheaded, cantankerous, and inflexible people you’ll ever meet.  They can’t help it.  They were born that way!  They’re also some of the most proud individuals on the planet – proud of their work ethics and their accomplishments.

We all know that no one is perfect, right? Save yourself the grief and don’t try sharing that little gem of wisdom with a perfectionist.  These poor folks can spend a lifetime striving for the impossible!

How hard do you think it is for a perfectionist to manage and build a small business single-handedly?  It’s got to be at least a hundred times harder than it is for anyone else who recognizes their limitations and time constraints and reaches out for help.

It’s harder for a perfectionist to outsource business building tasks than it is to run a marathon barefoot!

Think I’m exaggerating?  Find a small business owner who’s a true perfectionist and ask them for outsourcing referrals or recommendations.  My guess?  That section of their rolodex will be blank.

Being a perfectionist is NOT a blessing … it’s a curse. How can I be so sure?  I’ll let you figure that out. 😉

{mysig}

  • Marcia, I can’t thank you enough for sharing your story. And I love a story with a happy ending!

    The feeling I get from reading this is that you’re probably a lot like me in many respects. It’s not that we adore being all things to all people and the proverbial “one-man band”. I get tired just writing those words! It’s more that perfectionists are CONSCIENTIOUS and RESULTS-DRIVEN. We don’t tolerate “lose ends” and cavalier work ethics. We think “professionalism” counts!

    Don’t get me wrong here. I think it’s just as important to be able to relax, learn to delegate, and embrace the unique talents that others bring to the table.

    You rock!

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  • Hey, guys! I USED to be a perfectionist — I mean, like, my name’s on the door, right? I HAD to do everything. And then I got really busy and grew really fast and had to hire people. So what did I do? After they went home at night, I stayed and redid all the work on their desks — yes, I did. They’d come in in the morning to notes all over their work — could you imagine? They hated it! But I didn’t think they could do it as well as I could.

    Then we kept getting busier still and finally things started slipping thru the cracks and I started missing things, I couldn’t redo everything — and some stuff got out to clients before I could redo it. And guess what? The clients loved it! I couldn’t believe that the clients loved stuff that *I* didn’t do!!

    It stopped me dead in my tracks. Suddenly I could relax and let other people help and the clients liked it just as much as when I did it — sometimes better. I started making more money because more of us could work on things. I didn’t have to put in as many hours. It started feeling really good! And that’s how I stopped being a perfectionist.

    True story!
    Just had to add my 2 cents.
    Marcia
    .-= Marcia Hoeck´s last blog ..Get Out of the Weeds! =-.

  • I’d be thrilled to take you up on your offer, Lisa, but there’s still plenty room left on the wall over here!

    For me, giving over assignments/tasks/projects to someone else (OMG! A total stranger)is like giving over my first born child. Ain’t gonna happen. Hey – maybe there’s a “support group” for this sort of syndrome. 🙂

  • Melanie – I know, I know. I have hindered myself a lot being a “perfectionist”. Outsourcing gets things completed much faster than if I’d do it myself – stressing over the tiniest pixels and shades of blue or green LOL.

    Gwen
    .-= Gwen Tanner´s last blog ..How To Get Ideas for Your First Ebook =-.

    • Gwen,

      I take solace in meeting a fellow perfectionist who’s been able to jump off the diving board and into the deep end of the pool!
      I’ll be joining you for a swim one of these days. 🙂

  • Ohhh Melanie!

    You have to get out of my head! It’s been a hellish few weeks. I am struggling with this issue now, especially as I reach the breaking point of managing everything myself. It’s time that I pass along smaller, writing intensive projects – but I’m afraid that I won’t find someone who writes as well as I do to represent me. Pretty conceited and arrogant, right? I know, and I feel bad about it. And yet, I still haven’t done anything about it. There’s room over here on the wall I keep banging my head against, if you’re game! LOL