On the day of events, she would drive the set-up crews crazy. Everything was set up according to our plans, but she still didn’t think the set-up was perfect. She focused on the small details of each event and forgot about the parts of the event that really mattered.

It’s easy to confuse being perfect with being organized. My boss did.

On the surface, someone may seem organized but their obsession with being perfect keeps them from being organized. When you recognize the difference being perfect and being organized, you’ll become more productive.

• Perfectionists put off tasks because they don’t have what they need to do them perfectly. They won’t file a stack of papers because they don’t have red or blue file folders. Being organized means tackling tasks to make sure they’re finished on time.

• Perfectionists like the look of a stark office. Their desk is perfectly clear — I know a woman who keeps her landline phone in a drawer because she hates clutter — but their drawers may be stuffed with papers, supplies and anything else they don’t want on their desk. They like to give the appearance of being organized, but when it’s time to work, they have to take everything out again. Being organized means setting up your office to be functional, so you don’t have to rearrange your desk when you’re ready to work.

• Perfectionists expect others to be perfect too. Perfectionists annoy everyone around them with their unrealistic demands. They don’t understand why everyone can’t function at their level. Being organized means understanding that everyone has different working styles.

• Perfectionists won’t handle any task they can’t do well. They may have an important project that’s due in a few days, but instead they’ll work on a project that isn’t due for weeks. Being organized means handling top priorities, whether or not they’re your strengths.

There’s nothing wrong with having high standards but when they get in the way of running your business, something has to change. And it’s OK if the first few changes you make aren’t perfect.

In the episode I watched, the chefs on opposing teams were equally talented.  The difference was that one chef was a perfectionist.  The other had his eye on the end result: to serve good food in a timely manner.  The perfectionist spent more time on the presentation of the food — her customers wouldn’t have noticed if the lettuce wasn’t centered on the plate — and less time watching the clock.  The perfectionist lost the competition.

When you focus on making sure the slightest tasks turns out perfectly, you risk missing deadlines, annoying your clients and getting in your own way of success.  Your business can’t move forward when your need for perfection turns into an anchor that drags your business down.

The next time you can’t let something go because it’s not perfect, take the pressure off yourself and keep your eye on the big picture.

Everyone works and organizes differently.

Bouncing Ball — bounces from project to project, without completing any of them. They want to accomplish everything, yet have trouble focusing on one thing at a time. (I know because I tend to be a Bouncing Ball at times.) Use some type of to-do list (paper-based or electronic) to keep you on track and focused.

Nit Picky (or perfectionist) — appears organized on the surface, yet their quest for perfection keeps them from being organized. One of the ways to avoid being a Nit Picky is to have realistic standards and attainable goals, and know that you can’t do everything perfectly.

Teeter Totter — has trouble making decisions because they fear that any decision they make may be the wrong one. When making decisions, build in contingency plans. When you start a project, make decisions and follow through. If things aren’t going as planned, change direction and then move forward.

Ima Mess — keeps things “just in case” or because they “may need it someday.” The problem is that when they need it, they can’t find it. If you’re keeping something that isn’t serving a specific purpose, recycle it or donate it. Weed through your files and get rid of anything that you know you’ll never refer to again. Add drawer dividers within drawers you use often, to make it easy to see and find what you need.

Lookout — follows the out-of-sight, out-of-mind philosophy and fears putting anything away. Files are piled on the desk, office supplies are stored on open shelves and magazines are stacked on the floor as a reminder to read them. Keep things in sight but still organized by using desktop file holders, colorful document boxes to hold supplies on shelves, and stacking bins or baskets to hold magazines.