Does Perfectionism Ever Stop You From Even Starting?

I’ve recently been reflecting on how I’ve ended up at this point in my life where nothing seems to make sense. I feel aimless, like I’m just wandering without a clear purpose. After some introspection, I realized two major factors might have led me here: extreme procrastination and something I’ve come to call “fake perfectionism.”

Now, procrastination is something we all know and struggle with to varying degrees, but I want to dive deeper into this idea of fake perfectionism.

Here’s how I define it: there are two kinds of perfectionists.

1. True perfectionists: These are the people who work tirelessly to achieve perfection in their work, grades, surroundings, or other aspects of their life. They push themselves hard, and while this can sometimes turn toxic, they’re at least taking action to chase that perfection.

2. Fake perfectionists (this is where I fall): These are people who crave perfection but are not willing—or able—to put in the effort to achieve it. It’s like a mental trap: you want everything to be flawless, but the moment something doesn’t go perfectly, you abandon it entirely.

For example, if I set a goal for the day and something small derails it—say I wake up late—I immediately feel like the whole day is wasted. Instead of salvaging the rest of the day, I’ll tell myself, “I’ll just start fresh tomorrow.” But when tomorrow comes, the cycle repeats. This mindset leads me to scrap countless “projects” or efforts because they didn’t live up to an ideal standard right away.

It’s as if the idea of perfection has become a crutch for procrastination. I tell myself, “If I can’t do it perfectly, why bother at all?” But this only feeds into a loop of inaction and self-doubt.

Have you experienced this kind of fake perfectionism? Do you ever find yourself paralyzed by the thought of not being able to meet your own impossible standards, so you just… do nothing?

If you’ve faced this, how did you break out of the cycle? Or if you’re still struggling with it, what strategies have you tried? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Maybe we can figure out a way to take small, imperfect steps toward breaking free from this trap together.