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Is procrastination caused by perfectionism?

Short answer: It depends on the type of perfectionism. A meta-analysis of about 10,000 people found that perfectionistic concerns (fear of mistakes and of others' judgement) go along with more procrastination (r = 0.23), while perfectionistic strivings (setting high standards for yourself) go along with less (r = -0.22).[1]

By Seth Richardson, Founder of ProcrastiGauge · Last reviewed 24 October 2026 · Based on published research (sources below)

Key facts

  • Perfectionistic concerns: more procrastination (r = 0.23)
  • Perfectionistic strivings: less procrastination (r = -0.22)
  • Evidence: meta-analysis of up to 43 samples, about 10,000 people

The details

Earlier research treated perfectionism as one trait and found it unrelated to procrastination. Splitting it into two parts showed why: the two parts pull in opposite directions and cancel out when lumped together.

If you put tasks off because you are afraid the result will not be good enough, you are describing perfectionistic concerns. Lowering the bar for the first draft ("a bad first version, in 20 minutes") can make starting less threatening.

Recording small daily progress also helps, because it shifts attention from judging the final result to the next step. That is what a ProcrastiGauge check-in is built for: it scores the effort and progress of your day, not perfection.

Limits of the evidence. These are correlations, so they show the two go together, not that perfectionism causes procrastination. The size of the link depended on how perfectionism was measured.
How ProcrastiGauge helps. ProcrastiGauge rewards starting and making progress each day, and suggests one realistic change for tomorrow rather than a perfect plan. Try ProcrastiGauge free for 7 days.

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Related questions

Sources

  1. Sirois, F. M., Molnar, D. S., & Hirsch, J. K. (2017). A meta-analytic and conceptual update on the associations between procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism. European Journal of Personality, 31(2), 137-159. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2098Meta-analysis of up to 43 samples (about 10,000 people).