All or Nothing

When you hear the word perfectionist, what comes to mind? Do you see it as a way to increase your chances of success? Is it considered a positive trait? Or maybe it means you are simply striving for flawlessness.

Perfectionists are an interesting lot. They are a lot like high achievers, but they have greater challenges when it comes to reaching personal bests. Which seems so counter-intuitive. But the simple truth is that perfectionists generally achieve less due to increased stress.

Don’t get me wrong. There are times when perfectionism serves us and is exactly what is needed. Think nanosurgery. So, yes, there is a time and place for perfectionism, but they are usually far and few between.

Here are a few signs that perfectionism is leaning toward the unhealthy:

• ‘Almost perfect’ is perceived as failure

• Tiny imperfections are all that you see

• An unmet goal has you wallowing in detrimental thoughts

• The fear of failure immobilizes you, so you do nothing

The thing to remember is that sometimes good enough is all that is required. The goal is not to make ‘perfect’ the enemy of ‘good.’