5 Signs That You've Got Perfectionism

 

(credit: pexels by Artim Saranin)

The moment you decide to start something big—something that matters to you—it should feel exciting. You’ve got the vision, you’ve got the motivation, and maybe you’ve even brewed your favorite cup of coffee or tea according to your taste, just to set the tone. You're ready to launch that blog, build your dream app, or finally commit to a new habit. 

But then... something weird happens. 

Suddenly, you're overwhelmed by tiny decisions. You start obsessing over font sizes, color palettes, folder structures, or the “perfect” productivity tool. What started as momentum turns into doubt, hesitation, and—before you realize it—you’re just stuck. Again. 

If this sounds familiar, there’s a good chance that perfectionism is playing a bigger role in your life than you thought. 

This article isn’t here to call you out. It’s here to hold up a mirror and help you recognize the signs—because the first step toward changing something is being aware of it. 

Here are five clear signs that you might be dealing with perfectionism, especially in your creative or professional journey. 

 

1. You’re Always Waiting for the "Perfect" Time to Start 

You say things like: 

• “I’ll start when I’m more experienced.” 

• “Maybe next week when things calm down.” 

• “Let me just finish reading one more tutorial.” 

The truth? That “perfect” time doesn’t exist. Life is always going to be messy and uncertain. Perfectionism convinces you that conditions need to be just right—but if you keep waiting, you’ll stay in the same place while your ideas collect dust. 

Instead of waiting, focus on building your MVP—your Minimum Viable Product. Whether it’s a project, an app, or even a new routine, create the smallest, simplest version that works. Starting small isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s how every real journey begins. 

This article, for example, didn’t start as a polished masterpiece. It started as messy notes. Then a rough draft. Then a rewrite. Progress is layered—it grows through action. 

 

2. You Struggle to Finish Things You Start 

Perfectionists are often great at starting projects... but not so great at finishing them. 

Why? Because finishing something means letting it go—and perfectionism tells you it’s never good enough to be seen. So you keep tweaking, polishing, revising, rethinking, and suddenly you’ve spent three days renaming your project folders instead of publishing your work. 

This is where done is better than perfect becomes your mantra. 

Finishing something, even imperfectly, teaches you more than endlessly refining it in private. If you want to grow, ship it. You’ll learn from real-world feedback, and you can always improve it later. 

 

3. You Obsess Over Details That Don’t Really Matter (Yet) 

Let’s be honest—how many hours have you spent: 

• Deciding on the perfect font for a project that hasn’t launched? 

• Rewriting your bio for a portfolio that still has no projects? 

• Comparing three JavaScript frameworks... before writing a single line of code? 

Perfectionism loves to disguise itself as productivity. It makes you feel like you’re working hard, when really, you’re just spinning your wheels. 

The cure? Prioritize ruthlessly. As mentioned in the article about overcoming perfectionism, focus on building your MVP first. That means stripping things down to what’s essential. No one cares what font you use if your app doesn’t even have a working login screen yet. 

Keep things simple. Launch fast. Polish later. 

 

4. You Take Criticism Personally—Even When It's Meant to Help 

If feedback feels like a personal attack, that’s a big sign perfectionism is lurking in the background. 

You may tell yourself you want to improve—but deep down, you want your work to be flawless, so no one needs to give feedback. But here’s the truth: criticism is a gift. It’s how you grow. It’s how you level up. 

Yes, it can sting. But if you learn to take a step back and separate your work from your worth, everything shifts. You’ll start to see feedback as part of the process—not proof that you’re not good enough. 

The best creators—coders, writers, designers, founders—they all make mistakes. They all hear feedback. The only difference is: they don’t let it stop them. 

 

5. You Tie Your Self-Worth to Your Output 

Here’s a subtle one. Perfectionism often shows up as an internal voice saying: 

“If this fails, I’m a failure.” 

“If this project isn’t amazing, I must not be talented.” 
“If I mess up, everyone will think I’m a joke.” 

This mindset is exhausting—and unfair. You are not your work. You are not your lines of code, your pixel-perfect design, or your latest blog post. 

What matters is that you’re showing up. That you’re trying. That you’re willing to start before you feel ready, just like this article encouraged you to do in your own project. 

 

So What Now? 

If you’ve read through these signs and thought “Oh no, that’s me”—don’t panic. 

You’re not broken. You’re just human. And honestly, the fact that you care so much about doing things well? That’s a strength. You just need to learn how to use it without letting it paralyze you. For more details about How to Overcome perfectionism, here's an article about 5 steps to overcome perfectionism.

But for now just Remember: 

• Focus on progress, not perfection. 

• Prioritize your MVP, not every possible feature. 

• Be brave enough to publish work that isn’t “perfect” yet. 

• Learn from feedback instead of fearing it. 

You don’t need to feel ready to start. You just need to start. 

 

One Last Thing 

If this article resonated with you, take it as a sign to take action today. Choose one small task that’s been sitting on your to-do list because you’ve been waiting for the right time. Then do it—badly if needed. 

Because movement is how momentum builds. 

And momentum? That’s how dreams become real.