• 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