Let Go of Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a common obstacle to productivity among doctoral students. It is generally defined as maintaining standards that are unrealistically high and impossible to attain (Hewitt & Flett, 1991).

Some students impose excessively high standards on their writing that make productive work nearly impossible. For example, many believe:

• Their first draft should be ready for advisor review

• Their dissertation chair or committee expects flawless work

• Mistakes will lead to disapproval or judgment

In response to these perceived or self-imposed standards, perfectionistic students often struggle with motivation and productivity. The pressure to perform perfectly can actually diminish the desire to work at all.

Perfectionism as a Way to Feel in Control

For many students, perfectionism functions as a coping strategy. If you can be perfect and make no mistakes, you may believe you can:

• Protect yourself from appearing flawed

• Avoid exposing perceived inadequacies

• Maintain control over uncertainty and anxiety

However, perfection offers only an illusion of control. No matter how polished your writing or how carefully you analyze your findings, flaws will still exist, and others will notice them.

In reality:

• People rarely expect perfection

• You cannot prevent criticism entirely

• It is impossible to write a dissertation that is above critique

Striving to write a perfect dissertation would require such enormous effort that other parts of your life—your health, well-being, and relationships—would likely suffer.

Earning a PhD does not permanently banish feelings of inadequacy. Instead, perfectionism often moves the goalposts: once this task is done, the next one must be even better.

Feedback Is a Normal Part of the Process

Faculty members will almost certainly:

• Suggest revisions

• Ask you to clarify your thinking

• Encourage you to approach your work differently

This is especially true during the proposal stage. Receiving feedback is not a sign of failure—it is an expected and essential part of the dissertation process.

Rather than striving for perfection, you may benefit more from expecting feedback. You have the capacity to handle it, even when it initially feels like criticism.

Paradoxically, perfectionism often leads to chronic underperformance. You may feel perpetually insufficient because you are measuring yourself against unrealistic standards that you would never apply to others.

How Perfectionism Sabotages Writing Momentum

Perfectionism has a particularly powerful and negative impact on writing productivity. When your goal is perfection—especially in a first draft—you block your ability to:

• Let ideas flow

• Build momentum

• Write freely

Anne Lamott (1994) describes perfectionism as:

“The voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft” (p. 28).

I have witnessed countless students become stuck, stalled, or paralyzed by the pursuit of perfection when trying to write early drafts.

The “Too Many Programs Open” Analogy

Consider how a computer behaves when too many programs are running at once. The system may:

• Slow down

• Freeze

• Crash entirely

Something similar happens when you write while trying to manage too many cognitive demands at once. Writing a dissertation is inherently complex, but perfectionism multiplies that complexity.

Common “Writing Programs” Students Run Simultaneously

When writing, you may be trying to:

• Determine what you want to say about existing research or theories

• Transform sources into your own words

• Avoid plagiarism

• Clearly explain theories and findings

• Synthesize ideas

• Cite references correctly

• Write elegant, intelligent-sounding sentences

• Use perfect spelling and grammar

• Create smooth transitions

• Build a strong, well-organized argument

Advanced (and Anxiety-Provoking) Programs

You may also be running programs such as:

• What will my advisor or committee think?

• Will I pass my dissertation defense?

• Will this be publishable?

• Does this need to be an incredible or perfect dissertation?

• Will this be good enough to get an academic job?

Writing with all of these programs running at once places enormous strain on your system.

Why Perfectionism Leads to Procrastination

When too many writing programs are open simultaneously, you may:

• Write slowly and haltingly

• Freeze and avoid writing altogether

• Procrastinate or disengage

Perfectionists often hope that if they can write the first draft perfectly, they won’t have to revise or risk appearing incompetent. But academic writing almost always requires multiple drafts and revisions.

Striving for perfection early in the writing process is one of the fastest ways to shut down your system.

A More Productive Approach to Writing

When writing is not going well, examine your expectations. Ask yourself:

• Am I demanding too much of myself right now?

• Am I expecting a polished draft too early?

• Do I believe competent writers never struggle?

• Am I worrying about grammar, transitions, or judgment too soon?

The guideline I give most students is to write early drafts with only a few writing programs open at a time.

For Example: Writing a Literature Review

You might focus only on:

1. Determining what you want to say about specific research or theories
2. Clearly explaining existing theories or findings
3. Avoiding plagiarism and citing sources

Resist opening the What will my advisor think? program at this stage.

Once the basic content exists, you can return to:

• Improve organization

• Refine arguments

• Polish language

• Seek feedback

Getting feedback from others, especially when you are stuck, is an essential and often underused writing strategy.

Replace Demands With Reasonable Expectations

Letting go of perfectionism involves replacing rigid demands with more flexible preferences, wishes, and wants (Ellis, 2001).

You may benefit from:

• Identifying perfectionistic thoughts

• Disputing irrational beliefs

• Creating rational coping statements

Ultimately, letting go of perfectionism requires trusting that your dissertation and your writing skills are evolving over time.

Your work on any given day may not feel satisfactory, but if you keep writing, revising, and integrating feedback, you will eventually produce work of sufficient quality to earn your doctoral degree.

The road may be messier than you would prefer, but a messier road is often quicker and less painful than a perfectly paved one.