The Negative Impact of Perfectionism

The straight A student, the best all-around dancer, and the student voted “Most likely to Succeed” appears to have every thing together. All the while, they are masking under their high achievements the lack of balance and rationalization that’s needed to enjoy winning. With each win, they simply move on to the next peak moment without a second thought of celebrating the last win. This student very well may struggle with the pressures of perfectionism. Perfectionism is the belief that there is only one “best way” to reach one’s full potential. However, the downfall is becoming a prisoner of the following: www.livelightcounsel.com

●Procrastination: When you believe the only way to accomplish a goal is to do it perfectly, a perfectionist may not even begin the task at hand. They will wait until the “ideal” time to complete a task and sometimes not at all. This results in missed opportunities.

●Crippling losses: Inevitably, failure comes along and can knock the wind out of your sails if you cling to doing things exactly right. More importantly, if one is met with criticism, ultimately the validation that winning would bring is instead replaced with self-loathing.

●Lack of Self-Esteem: With self-loathing comes thoughts of not being good enough. With this feeling, depression and anxiety can take over. This could lead to trouble with personal and professional growth.

●Muted Joy: The person with perfectionism disregards the inner joy and value of meeting their goals. Instead of taking time to process wins, they move on quickly and the value is never attributed to their identity or their efforts. They focus on the win instead of the pleasure of the journey.

Instead of perfection, it’s best to employ thoughts of being “excellent” and to do one’s best. Doing your best will leave you with the confidence that you can always try again. In situations that are not “life or death” it’s best to take a move and learn, rather than sit on the side-lines with the notion of things being perfect. Letting go of perfectionism is the liberation of having the option to grow and change.

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