What happens when our pursuit of excellence crosses the line into wasted effort? We dive into the psychology behind "wasted excellence" – that tendency to overcomplicate, overthink, and overdeliver when it doesn't actually serve anyone.

We unpack the telling signs you might be trapped in this pattern: delivering products far beyond what clients request, documenting and re-documenting unnecessarily, doing your employees' work for them, or being unable to let decisions stand. This isn't about lowering standards; it's about aligning your efforts with realistic expectations. What feels like "C work" to a perfectionist might still register as exceptional to everyone else.

The revelation that might sting most? Your reputation often suffers rather than improves from perfectionism. When you're consumed with making one thing flawless, you miss opportunities to add value elsewhere. Excellence should be measured not just in quality but in impact across multiple initiatives. We challenge you to consider who truly sets the standard for acceptable work – is it you, or is it your stakeholders? Breaking free starts with admitting the pattern, making incremental changes, and embracing iteration as a faster path to quality than isolated perfection. How might redefining excellence change your productivity and satisfaction?