As a physician, it’s likely that you have a strong inclination towards perfectionism. Throughout your education and career, you may have received praise and recognition for your perfectionist tendencies. However, this mindset can also lead to defining yourself by your perfectionism and feeling the sting of disappointment when you fall short.
While perfectionism can be a valued attribute in the medical profession, it can also have a dark side. Perfectionists often suffer from impostor syndrome and may procrastinate to avoid feeling inadequate or fearing change. This can hold you back from experiencing the satisfaction of completing tasks and learning new skills.
If you find yourself struggling with procrastination or feelings of inadequacy, it’s important to recognize that these feelings do not define you as lazy or incapable. Instead of chastising yourself, try to break the cycle of fear, frustration, and despair by acknowledging that it’s okay to make mistakes and take on new challenges.
To balance your perfectionist tendencies with the demands of non-clinical commitments, paperwork, and personal projects, it may be helpful to prioritize and delegate tasks. Remember that patient care should always come first, and it’s okay to ask for help or support when needed.
Let’s be honest. There are a ridiculous number of things that weigh on your time as a physician. Sometimes good and done is good enough. And sometimes, when it’s appropriate, you just have to say no.
Let’s start with getting stuff done. First, if no one’s life or livelihood depends on it being perfect, allow yourself a little grace. Realize that sometimes perfection is not worth the effort and may not even be possible. Below, I share tips for how to tackle a handful of competing priorities in a timely manner:
1) Medical documentation
We’ll address the elephant in the room first: your medical charts. As charts start to pile up and paperwork is left unfinished, your anxiety levels may rise, and you may find yourself in a spiral of regret and self-flagellation. If you have a system that works for you, kudos and keep it up. But for the many physicians for whom the EHR is a major source of stress and procrastination anxiety, it’s important to get a handle on this beast as early as possible in your medical career. Just get the charts done, either immediately during or after the visit (my preference) or at the end of the session. Yes, the notes need to be succinct, truthful, and useful. And personally, I always found that including a brief personal observation reminded me of the issues that were meaningful to my patients when we met the next time. But punctuation, spelling, even virtual voice transcription errors that don’t change the meaning of the sentence can often be safely overlooked. Yes, the ready availability of records to our patients may mean that these errors are highlighted, but this may be one situation where perfectionism in patient care can be counterproductive. You’ve got to get the notes done in short order, and they need to be complete, and you only have so much time in the day.
I also recommend that you use “smart phrases” — text blocks that you use frequently that can be automated through your EHR system — as much as possible (only if the documentation is accurate, of course). And to avoid a horrendous backlog, I urge you to create a block of time to get patient communication, testing review, insurance, and other paperwork done. Do it consistently every day (perhaps using the Pomodoro method), and even though you may not finish everything all at once, you’ll complete it in a timely manner. Once you start seeing the results of this effort, your sense of self-efficacy will increase.
2) Inter-personal responsibilities
When it comes to committees and other professional commitments, take a good long look at what you’ve signed up for. Be sure that the work is meaningful and actionable for you. If so, consider working with an “accountability partner” who is on the same committee. You can keep each other on task with quick check-ins by text. Simply committing to a plan can often get you halfway there.
3) Personal endeavors
Having a life outside of the clinic or hospital helps you to decompress, stretches your brain, and keeps you connected to the outside world. When it comes to family and close friends, your time and attention matter. And of course regular exercise is critical for just about every aspect of your health. Unlike taking care of patients, the bar is fairly low. No one is depending on you to be the best. Just being present and engaged is usually enough. For your home projects, exercise, and other extracurriculars, consider using a Bullet Journal or other daily log. I personally prefer to use paper rather than apps, since it’s easy for to-do lists to disappear into the ether of the internet, never to be seen again. Just commit to five to 10 minutes on a task on a regular basis, or set up an introductory lesson for something that interests you. You’ll be surprised how much you can do, and it may motivate you to keep going. If you’re not perfect, all the better. You’ll learn and grow and maybe even find new life passions.
Cultivating self-compassion is an essential aspect of the healing process, yet it does not imply disregarding the urgent problems caused by procrastination. When burdened with an overwhelming workload due to procrastination-induced perfectionism, it’s crucial to recognize that this behavior can lead to significant mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Furthermore, procrastination can be detrimental to both your patients and your practice by delaying medical care and missing critical notifications, potentially causing serious consequences for those who depend on you. Seeking assistance when needed is a reasonable course of action. If you’re experiencing burnout, questioning your efforts, or direction, consider scheduling a meeting with a physician coach.
As a physician, perfectionism is one of your strengths. You have high standards, solve intricate problems, and ensure people’s safety. However, it’s essential to leverage this trait without allowing it to drive you towards procrastination.
What methods do you use to overcome perfectionism? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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