Five Ways Excellence Differs From Perfectionism
October 2025
By: Jason Hsieh - Associate Pastor Counseling and Discipleship
At what point does striving for excellence veer into perfectionism? I was asked this question during a recent counseling session. On the surface, excellence and perfectionism have the commonality of wanting to perform well in our responsibilities. But upon deeper examination, they couldn’t be more different. This article highlights the distinction between striving for excellence and perfectionism and provides guidance on how to encourage others toward the former and away from the latter.
Distinguishing Between Excellence and Perfectionism
Definitions: Biblically speaking, excellence has practical and moral facets. Practically, excellence in our work and responsibilities is demonstrated through diligence, integrity, and a mindset of utilizing God-given gifts in service to others.[1] Morally, we’re pursuing excellence when our values, attitudes, and character are in line with God’s ways and character.[2] Conversely, perfectionism doesn’t accept anything short of flawlessness.
Views on humanity: The pursuit of excellence recognizes we’re finite and fallible, but that we can progressively improve in our work and responsibilities with the help of time, good training, and diligence.[3] Conversely, perfectionism contradicts Scripture’s teaching that we’re fallible and finite, as no one can execute their responsibilities without blemish (1 John 1:10).
Respect for God-given boundaries to productivity: Since excellence has both practical and moral facets, pursuing it means our diligence and efforts are limited by the boundaries God gives us. This means we don’t pursue excellence at the expense of other responsibilities, relationships, or the reflection of God’s character. The limitations that come with time, rest, and one’s own skill are other boundaries that help prevent us from sliding into an “excellence at all costs” mentality. Conversely, perfectionism overemphasizes outcomes without regard for the process and means of achieving them. The end product of excellence and perfectionism may be the same, but the means to achieve such outcomes can be very different.[4]
Source of value and identity: Someone striving for excellence correctly places their value and identity in being faithful with the resources God has given to him or her. Conversely, a perfectionist can struggle with thinking, “How will others view me if this isn’t perfect?” or “If I don’t get this perfect, I’m a nobody or I’m a failure.” At the core, a perfectionist can struggle with deriving too much of their value and identity from their work or responsibilities.
Fruit: Excellence leaves the individual and others around them in a more flourishing state. And that’s because we’re designed to flourish by being faithful in our tasks and in pursuing holiness. Since perfectionism can be blind to the fallible part of our humanity, it can contribute to anxiety and a lower view of oneself than what’s biblical or necessary. Left unaddressed, the striving for perfection can also lead to neglect of relationships and other responsibilities. Expecting anything less than perfection in others can also contribute to strained relationships.
Steering Toward Excellence and Away from Perfectionism
View strugglers accurately: The distinctions above are made to clearly differentiate between excellence and perfectionism. Translating those distinctions into real life means viewing someone struggling with perfectionism along a continuum that spans from striving for excellence to a perfectionist mindset. And someone struggling with perfectionism might struggle with one or several of the above distinctions.
Cultivate realistic expectations for productivity: For tasks that are simple or relatively trivial, such flawlessness might be possible. But for ones that involve complexity and legitimate obstacles, flawlessness isn’t reasonable. No one expects a great basketball player to make every shot, much less is it possible to achieve perfection in cooking, parenting, or leading others.
Make progress in respecting God-given boundaries, one at a time: As described above, our pursuit of excellence must be done in respect to the various boundaries and limits God has given to us. Review the third point above with someone struggling with perfectionism and encourage that person to make progress in one facet at a time.
Understand why someone struggles: People can struggle with perfectionism for various reasons. For some, it’s a fear of disapproval. For others, having parents with unreasonable expectations has contributed. Struggles like obsessive-compulsive disorder can also contribute. Work to understand why someone struggles and minister to the why.
Offer to help someone make amends with others: If relationships have been damaged, a book likeKen Sande’s The Peacemaker provides helpful points on genuine repentance and approaching others we’ve harmed.
Conclusion
Here’s a story to illustrate the distinction between perfectionism and excellence. I once knew a man whose job was to find flaws in the quilts his company produced. He was so good at finding fault and aiming for perfection, but he couldn’t make the switch when he got home and struggled with being overly critical of his wife. Sometime later, I was gifted a quilt by another individual. This quilt was made by a different company—one that intentionally included a square in each quilt that didn’t match the others. The reason? To remind themselves and their customers that God and God alone is perfect.
Questions for Reflection
In what ways does your pursuit of excellence respect God-given boundaries to our work?
How can you focus more on faithfulness and diligence in your tasks rather than outcomes?
Footnotes:
[1] For example, Paul encourages the Colossians to be committed to seemingly mundane, secular work since God is their primary audience (Col. 3:23).
[2] For example, Peter writes to various churches to keep their behavior “excellent” among the Gentiles (1 Pet. 2:12, NASB) to commend God to the non-Christians in their lives. Paul also helps us understand the meaning of excellence by tying it to that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable (Phil. 4:8).
[3] Paul urges Timothy to fan into flames the gifts he’s been given, implying that improving our output is possible but that it requires diligence (2 Tim. 1:6). Passages like Phil 1:6 also teach us that we progressively grow in Christlikeness.
[4] How we go about our work matters a great deal to God. See Mark 8:36: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” and Prov. 10:2: “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.”
This article was originally published by Biblical Counseling Coalition on September 5, 2025 and is reposted here with their permission.
