Being a perfectionist doesn't mean you're organized.

It’s easy to confuse perfectionism with organization. You know those people who appear to be organized on the surface, yet their perfectionism keeps them from being organized? Recognizing the difference between the two can help anyone become more productive.

• Perfectionists do only the tasks they can do perfectly, while ignoring tasks they don’t do as well, yet may be as important. They work on a project that isn’t due for weeks, while they face an urgent deadline for another project. Being organized means handling top priorities, whether or not they’re your strengths.

• Perfectionists postpone tasks because they don’t have what they need to do them perfectly. They may postpone filing a stack of papers because they don’t have red or blue file folders. Being organized means tackling tasks to ensure that they’re completed before deadline and making due with the tools you have.

• Perfectionists stuff papers, supplies and anything else that would otherwise clutter a desk into drawers to be dealt with later. They want to give the appearance of being organized yet when it’s time to work they spend extra time taking everything out again. Being organized means setting up your office to be functional, so that you don’t have to rearrange your desk when you’re ready to work.

• Perfectionists don’t understand why everyone doesn’t function at their level. Their office may be set up perfectly and they’re able to meet most of their deadlines, yet they get angry that others aren’t able to do the same. Being organized means understanding that everyone has different work styles.