Perfectionism

I am undeniably a perfectionist. It started gradually in my youth, gathered momentum with age and is now a fully developed cross for me to bear for the rest of my life. The trait tends to manifest most noticeably at work, especially when I have tight deadlines to meet. My last two jobs called for quick and careful thinking, which thankfully suited my personality. Part of one’s adjustment to the real world is the measured realisation that very many people think differently to you and in order to maintain a pleasant + peaceful journey through life, one must manage and control actions and reactions. Much like defensive driving, my aim is to avoid a collision with another living, breathing person. If one does occur, I will search within myself to establish where I went wrong and how this precise situation can be circumnavigated in future.

Do you think you might be a perfectionist? Do you think in all-or-nothing terms? Do you think, and then act, in extremes? Do you struggle to delegate because you worry others will not carry out the task correctly? Do you have demanding standards for yourself and others? Do you have trouble completing a project because you keep tweaking it to make it better? Do you believe in rules that others should follow and then feel displeased when they do not? Does your self-confidence depend on what you accomplish + how others react to you? Do you fixate on one mistake and forget about your successes? Do you procrastinate or avoid situations where you might not excel? [psychologytoday.com/us/blog/better-perfect/201611/9-signs-you-might-be-perfectionist]. If you have answered ‘Yes’ to the majority of these questions, like I have, then congratulations dear friend, we are in the same imperfect boat. Also like me, you will have to find a way to balance your innate belief that you are correct 100% of the time, with the confusing reality that the world inexplicably seems not to agree. Good luck.