Could You Be a Perfectionist, Procrastinator or People-Pleaser?
Answer the questions below. You may discover something new about yourself...
Maybe You'll Consider Working with a Mentor or Consultant.
1. Are You a Perfectionist?
Instructions: Answer YES or NO to each question.
Try to answer based on what you usually do—not what you think you should do.
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Do you become frustrated with yourself when you make even small mistakes?
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Do you spend more time than necessary trying to make things “just right”?
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Do you have difficulty feeling satisfied with your accomplishments because you focus on what could have been better?
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Do you sometimes avoid starting something because you are afraid you will not do it well enough?
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Do you compare yourself, your appearance, your work, or your accomplishments to other people?
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Do you feel embarrassed, ashamed, or overly self-critical when someone points out a mistake?
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Do you have difficulty delegating because you believe other people may not do things correctly?
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Do you frequently use words such as should, must, always, or never when judging yourself?
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Do you sometimes tie your self-worth to your performance, productivity, appearance, achievements, or other people’s approval?
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Do you have difficulty celebrating progress because you are already thinking about what needs to be improved next?
Scoring
Give yourself one point for every YES.
0–2 YES answers: Perfectionism probably does not have a strong influence on your everyday life.
3–5 YES answers: You may have some perfectionistic tendencies, especially in certain areas of your life.
6–8 YES answers: Perfectionism may be influencing your decisions, stress level, relationships, productivity, or self-worth.
9–10 YES answers: Perfectionism may be playing a significant role in how you think about yourself and navigate your life.
Reflection:
Where is perfectionism costing me more than it is helping me, regarding money management, relationships, work, or reaching goals ?
2. Are You a Procrastinator?
Instructions: Answer YES or NO to each question.
Remember: procrastination isn't simply being lazy or uncaring.
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Do you regularly put off important tasks even when you know delaying them could create problems?
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Do you frequently tell yourself, “I’ll do it later,” and then later becomes tomorrow, next week, or someday?
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Do you wait until a deadline is approaching before you feel motivated enough to get started?
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Do you avoid tasks that feel boring, difficult, confusing, uncomfortable, or overwhelming?
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Do you sometimes complete easier or less important tasks so you can avoid the one you really need to do?
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Do you spend excessive time planning, researching, organizing, or preparing instead of actually beginning?
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Do you become distracted by your phone, television, social media, food, errands, cleaning, or other activities when you have something important to complete?
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Do you sometimes avoid starting because you are worried that you will fail, make a mistake, or discover that you cannot do something as well as you hoped?
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Do you frequently feel guilty, anxious, disappointed, or frustrated with yourself because of things you have postponed?
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Have you missed opportunities, lost money, created unnecessary stress, or disappointed yourself or others because you waited too long to act?
Scoring
Give yourself 1 point for every YES.
0–2 YES answers: Procrastination probably does not significantly interfere with your everyday life.
3–5 YES answers: You may procrastinate in specific situations, particularly when something feels unpleasant, uncertain, or overwhelming.
6–8 YES answers: Procrastination may be interfering with your productivity, finances, relationships, career, education, goals, or emotional well-being.
9–10 YES answers: Procrastination may have become a significant behavioral pattern that is keeping you from consistently doing what you know needs to be done.
Reflection:
What am I actually avoiding when I procrastinate—the task, how the task makes me feel, or uncertainty about the outcome ?
3. Are You a People-Pleaser?
Instructions: Answer YES or NO to each question.
Answer according to what you actually do when relationships, approval, conflict, or rejection are involved.
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Do you have difficulty saying “no” even when you really do not want to say yes?
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Do you agree to help other people when you are already tired, overwhelmed, financially strained, or short on time?
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Do you feel guilty, selfish, or uncomfortable when you put your own needs first?
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Do you worry excessively about disappointing people or having someone become upset with you?
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Do you sometimes agree with people just to avoid disagreement, tension, rejection, or conflict?
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Do you apologize frequently, even when you have done nothing wrong?
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Do you make excuses, avoid responding, pretend you misunderstood, or occasionally lie because telling someone “no” feels too uncomfortable?
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Do you tolerate disrespectful, inconsiderate, manipulative, or unhealthy behavior because you are afraid of losing the relationship?
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Does your mood sometimes depend heavily on whether other people are happy with you?
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Do you sometimes feel used, unappreciated, exhausted, resentful, or invisible after doing so much for everyone else?
Scoring
Give yourself 1 point for every YES.
0–2 YES answers: People-pleasing probably does not strongly influence most of your relationships.
3–5 YES answers: You may have people-pleasing tendencies, particularly with certain people or in situations involving conflict or approval.
6–8 YES answers: People-pleasing may be affecting your boundaries, emotional well-being, relationships, time, finances, or ability to advocate for yourself.
9–10 YES answers: People-pleasing may have become a significant pattern in which maintaining other people’s comfort and approval regularly comes at the expense of your own needs, values, or well-being.
Reflection:
What am I afraid might happen if I disappoint someone—and what is pleasing everyone costing me?
Disclaimer
These self-assessments are designed for personal reflection and education, not diagnosis. Perfectionism, procrastination, and people-pleasing can exist on a spectrum and may overlap with stress, anxiety, learned behaviors, personality traits, life circumstances, or mental health conditions. A score is not a label—it is an invitation to become more aware of patterns that may deserve your attention.