The Dark Side of Perfectionism
That high achiever you wish you could emulate? Don’t.
I’m a perfectionist. And an over-achiever. And a person on the outside who looks at times like “Wonder Woman.”
But the reality is much darker.
I get up each morning at three a.m. to write because it’s the only time I have to do so as a mom of two. I stress about each carbohydrate I put in my mouth, obsess over each time I am weak and choose to put sugar in my creamer instead of drinking it black, and feel guilt over each lesson plan that doesn’t have the “pop” and “pow” that will keep my students happy and engaged.
And these worries have brought me a fair amount of things of which to be proud.
For example, I am seeing growth in my goal of becoming a better writer. I remain at the same weight I was in high school, which is something that few of my middle-aged friends can say, and I am a well-loved and respected teacher.
Sounds like a great life, right?
Well, at least the part about being so successful.
But what most people around me who say “I wish I had that discipline” or “How do you manage to do it all?” don’t know is that, each morning when I set my Google Maps for success , I also take medications. For anxiety. For…
