Do you complete things at the last minute?
I do and always have. Whether homework, essays, and project deliverables.
I usually complete it at the very last minute. This is not because i’m disorganized or lazy but rather it’s the way a lot of introverts complete tasks, especially ones that require thought.
Non-stop Thinkers
We’re always thinking deeply about something or another. From the minute the task is assigned, we begin working on it in our minds. Whether we’re imagining what the finished product will look like or comparing various hypothesis, we are literally always working on the deliverable 24×7 in our minds. By the time the deadline is near, I have typically already developed the finished product in my mind and it’s just a matter of transferring that mental picture to a physical product.
The Ultimate Perfectionist
Once we’ve developed our mental masterpiece, the next phase for most INFJs is what some would call torture. Hours of extremely meticulous proofing and reviewing to ensure not a single element of the finished product is anything less than perfect. We INFJs are our worst critic. We often set the bar for ourselves at extreme heights. Even after the final product is delivered, i’m still finding areas for improvement.
Take the pressure off yourself
Although a blessing and a curse, one of the major advantages of the INFJ’s unquenchable thirst for perfection is the fact that what we typically consider “ok”, the rest of the world views as excellent. Knowing that our personality demands we shoot for the stars in everything we do can actuallly allow us to relax and simply do what we’re programmed to do – excel. The self-inflicted stress we undergo can be significantly reduced by having confidence that our view of “good” is usually three times higher than everyone else’s and will ultimately result in excellence.
Getting on with it
So the next time you find yourself overthinking every possible variation of the finished product of your assignment, just remember that whichever approach you choose will almost always be a winner. Take the risk of “just doing it” and notice how our “not good enough” is received by the outside world. You may be surprised to discover how little effort we need to significantly exceed the expectations of others.
That moment when you’re reading an article on how to stop procrastination while procrastinating….anyone?? 😛
Haha, same… ?
Haha me!!
Certainly not! ;]
Same here!! :’)
Yup. Me right now.
Hahaha yes!???
Always….haha
Lol! So very true ?There are so many other things I should be doing right now..instead I’m reading these articles…
You mean like this moment here? Now?
All of us? Seriously? ?
Totally!
This is sooo me!
Some of us INFJ’s are nothing close to being a perfectionist. But that could just be me. Other than that I am a very good at procrastination.
Same! I’m usually too stressed to stick with my perfectionist tendencies when approaching a deadline. If there’s no deadline, it doesn’t get done; if there is a deadline, it will get done on the same day as said deadline, and I will hate myself because it doesn’t look finished to me.
Heh me too 😛
This makes me think of the time I was in beauty school. Whenever we were given an assignment, I was ALWAYS the last one done. I would re do what I was doing multiple times because I wanted it to be perfect, even though everyone told me it was fine. I would notice these little, tiny details of such miniscule importance that, in my mind, made the whole thing look terrible. I ended up not continuing with cosmetology, but it was just funny how nit-picky I was. I am such a perfectionist. That, as this article says, is why I procrastinate or have things done later than everyone else.
Perhaps I should’ve known already, but I didn’t realize perfectionism was a facet of INFJness. I got straight A’s in school, not because of any external pressure, but because I couldn’t fathom settling for knowingly making mistakes! Now it makes sense 😉 This gives me some real food for thought. Any time I consider doing a creative project, the end product I see in my mind is always of professional quality, with pro-grade materials. It frustrates me when the only materials available are far below the quality I’d hoped for! Anyway, I had never considered this to be a quality unique to myself. Now I’m wondering if there is a way to capitalize on this! Hmm…
I wish I had read this before I finished grad school!!! Ha ha ha. I ALWAYS waited until the last minute to do my research papers and other assignments, and I ALWAYS thought that I could have done better. And generally I received 100% on my papers (the few 95-99% papers really bothered me, even though I know deep down they were still good papers). Finished my MA with a 4.0 GPA, but it would have been nice to not feel so stressed about it! Being an INFJ is tough… but the more I learn about myself the more I realize this is who I was made to be! Thanks for the awesome resources!
I wished that I had seen this before the many all-nighters I pulled learning each sentence in my textbook.
Thanks, really interesting article . If only reading something would be as ez as doing it in real life ;/
Wow, I’ve always known that my best work needs to “cook” in my head. It might look like I’m procrastinating but I work on it in my sleep I swear and then when I do sit down to do it, it’s good, I really was working on it. It’s not procrastination, it’s just how we do things. I now realize I NEED that time in my head. It’s time well spent.
I’m sure not ALL INFJs can be such roaring successes or high achievers.
Hey, please don’t say that! I am struggling with such self-doubt & low self-esteem, & looking for something to believe in myself with!
Please say INFJs are magical dragons … & you are one too!!!!
INFJs are magical dragons!
lol
Don’t worry, everyone had faults but we can ALL work through them and become better people!