You Might Be a Perfectionist but You Don’t Have to Live Like One
I remember before I had ever heard the term “perfectionist” telling my husband (then boyfriend) that I never aim for average. Average to me was a C and only A’s were acceptable. A grade of a C was basically failing to me.
And before you are tempted to blame my striving view of life on parents who demanded perfection or overachieving, I assure you this did not come to me from anything my family modeled or expected. It was all me. I guess you could say I was born this way.
There’s always another A to reach for when you sing for your supper.
I was proud of that line of thinking and it felt good to me in my 20’s. By my late 40’s it was an exhausting mantra and standard to live by. I was learning that there was always someone smarter and better and willing and able to work harder and longer than me which made my A look like a C in comparison.
Additionally, when you’re striving for an A in an area you are not particularly gifted or working in an environment you’re not suited for, that A can start to feel unattainable and tainted. Resentment is the cost for chasing that prize and even if/when you attain it, it can feel hollow — like a huge letdown, because there’s always another A to reach for when you sing for your…
