Perfectionism is tricky: It seems like a virtue and a point of honor, but taken to extremes, it's a paralyzing trap. In my years of working with clients, I've learned that although perfectionists believe their goal is excellence, more than anything else they are looking for security.  Problem solvers at heart, they often feel an adrenaline rush every time they go deep and start refining details. Airtight results make them feel safe, immunized against criticism from others. Yet they endlessly berate themselves. They're upset about not getting through that reading pile or not saying yes to every request. And they evaluate their work with one of two grades: Perfect or Complete Disaster. This approach is demoralizing, depressing, and unimaginative.

When I met Francine, a publicist for a large public relations firm, she was on performance probation. Her livelihood was in jeopardy if she didn’t start producing results fast...