The Pitfalls of Perfectionism – Part 2

pitfalls of perfectionism

Perhaps the biggest enemy of a perfectionistic lifestyle is the clock.

It really does take an enormous amount of time to meet those exceedingly high expectations. And this may well mean we'll have to neglect something or someone as we focus on perfection in some other area.

There's no doubt that perfectionistic attitudes can deeply hurt relationships. Those close to the person who's determined to 'get it perfect' can feel neglected and hurt, having to play second fiddle to the activities that absorb the time and attention of the perfectionist.

A recent client of mine whom I'll call Anderson says his wife is so fastidious about housecleaning that his grandchildren never feel welcome in their home. 'I hate to say this, but my wife is someone my grandkids might remember as kind of angry and maladjusted,' says Anderson. 'She yells at them if they have mud on their shoes. I'm getting the feeling the children dread coming to visit.'

Perfect housekeeping means parents must put lots of pressure on children and guests in order to maintain the household in a pristine manner. Perfect workplace goals mean that employees will be pushed to the max. For workers, these imposed standards can hurt morale and disrupt the work-life balance.

Perfectionism can cause enormous stress. It requires copious amounts of energy to focus on attaining what are often impossibly high standards.

In my next post we'll discuss the causes of perfectionism, and what we can do to deal with them. Be sure to check back on a regular basis.

Until next time, stay well and shine!

'Perfectionism is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.'
– Danna Eaulds


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