The One about Perfectionism and MVPs

ADHD often comes with a big fat struggle of a paradox: a combination of impulsivity and perfectionism. While individuals with ADHD are known for their spontaneity, they also frequently struggle with an intense need for perfection. This can lead to "all-or-nothing" thinking, where tasks feel insurmountable unless done perfectly, often resulting in procrastination or burnout.

Research indicates that perfectionism in ADHD is linked to difficulties with executive function, such as planning, time management, and self-regulation. This perfectionism can create a vicious cycle: the fear of not achieving perfection prevents starting a task, which in turn fuels feelings of failure and inadequacy.

Enter the MVP: Minimal Viable Product

The concept of a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) is a powerful tool that can be adapted to help manage perfectionism in ADHD. In the business world, an MVP is the simplest version of a product that can be released. Applied to decision making, personal habits and routines, an MVP encourages starting with the smallest, most manageable version of a task or process.

Many of my ADHD clients work in product development, including software development, and use this approach everyday. Interestingly, they don't think to apply it to their own personal organisation or habit formation journey.

The Rabbit Hole: Searching for the Perfect Solution

ADHDers often fall into the "rabbit hole" when searching for the perfect app, solution, or system. This involves spending excessive time and energy looking for the ideal tool to manage their tasks or habits. The quest for perfection can become an endless loop, delaying actual progress and increasing frustration.

ADHDers are Maximisers

ADHDers tend to be maximisers, constantly seeking the best possible option. Maximisers (as opposed to satisficers) are individuals who strive to make the perfect choice, often exhausting all options before making a decision. This trait is linked to the ADHD brain's tendency to seek novelty and stimulation, leading to over-analysis and difficulty settling on one option.

Why MVP is Effective for ADHD Maximisers

1. Start Small: Break tasks into the smallest possible steps. Instead of committing to a one-hour workout, start with a five-minute walk. This reduces the pressure to perform perfectly and makes it easier to start.

2. Focus on Basic Functionality: The MVP approach encourages focusing on what is necessary rather than perfect. For example, if an app helps you track your habits, it doesn't need to be the best on the market—just functional for your needs.

3. Avoid the Rabbit Hole: By adopting an MVP mindset, you avoid the endless search for the perfect tool. Choose something that works "well enough" and start using it immediately. You can always iterate and improve later.

4. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: The goal is to make consistent, incremental progress rather than achieving perfection from the outset. Celebrate small wins and recognise that each step forward is valuable.

5. Use Visual Reminders and Trackers: Visual tools like habit trackers can help reinforce progress. Seeing a streak of completed tasks, no matter how small, can provide motivation and a sense of accomplishment.

6. Be Kind to Yourself: Understand that setbacks are part of the process. Missed a day? That's okay. Restart the next day without self-judgement. Flexibility is key to maintaining momentum.

   
   

Seeing Perfectionism in My Clients

 

I see this perfectionism and maximising in my clients every day. They will not start journaling until they have found the perfect notebook, or will compare five or six task management apps. Some even try to set up so many customisations within that app that they waste time, get frustrated, and give up the entire thing. The MVP mindset can be liberating. It shifts the focus from finding the perfect solution to making immediate, practical progress. And internalising the fact that they can, in fact, keep things simple.

Implementing MVP in Daily Life

Let's imagine you decide you want to drink more water.

- MVP Step: Start with one glass of water each morning.

- Track: Use a simple app or a physical tracker to mark each day you complete this step.

- Celebrate: Reward yourself at the end of the week if you've met your goal, such as with a favourite treat or a relaxing activity.

If you want to start exercising, start like this.

- MVP Step: Commit to just one minute of exercise daily.

- Track: Log your exercise each day, no matter how brief.

- Celebrate: Recognise your consistency weekly with a small reward.

Need a little meditation in your life?

- MVP Step: Begin with a one-minute meditation session (maybe while the kettle is boiling or the coffee brewing, as one of my clients decided to do)

- Track: Use a journal or app to track your sessions if you feel it helps.

- Celebrate: Treat yourself to something enjoyable after a week of regular practice.

Embrace the MVP Mindset

The MVP approach offers a practical, effective way to manage ADHD-related perfectionism and the tendency to maximise. By breaking tasks into their simplest forms, focusing on basic functionality, and celebrating small wins, individuals with ADHD can overcome the paralysis of perfectionism and build sustainable habits.

Embrace the MVP mindset and transform perfectionism into progress. Your journey towards consistency and achievement starts with the smallest step.

You are welcome.

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References

• Barkley, R. A. (2021). Taking Charge of Adult ADHD. Guilford Publications.

• BBC Worklife. (2021, March 29). Do maximisers or satisficers make better decisions? Retrieved from BBC Worklife.

• Frost, R. O., & Marten, P. A. (1990). Perfectionism and cognitive factors in psychological inflexibility. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28(7), 675-685.

• Schwartz, B., Ward, A., Monterosso, J., Lyubomirsky, S., White, K., & Lehman, D. R. (2002). Maximizing versus satisficing: Happiness is a matter of choice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(5), 1178-1197.

• Tuckman, B. W., Abry, D. A., & Smith, D. R. (2002). Learning and motivation strategies: Your guide to success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.