I know that I've been a perfectionist all my life, and I realized toward the beginning of high school that I couldn't continue living with the naturally high standards that I set for myself. I needed to realized that perfection doesn't exist, or I'd never be happy. It's a constant battle, but since that realization, I've gotten so much better and am a much happier person because of it.
It's important for anyone to recognize the behaviors and habits they have that are unhealthy so that they can work to keep those habits under control. This article lists 14 common habits of perfectionists and explains why they are unhealthy. I'm sure each of us can connect with at least one or two things on this list. Go ahead and give it a read! Maybe you'll recognize something about yourself that you didn't realize.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/why-perfectionism-is-ruin_n_4212069.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/06/why-perfectionism-is-ruin_n_4212069.html
I still don't know if I'm a perfectionist or not, but that's a really interesting way of putting it. Sometimes I get freaked out about not getting all my work done but then I realize we're all going to die anyways so it's fine! Thanks for the article!
ReplyDeleteGood article with great points. Aiming high is important. Feeling it has to be perfect or it's no good can be paralyzing. I know a lot of entrepreneurs who prioritize taking action over perfection, and they love the saying, "good is good enough."
ReplyDeleteI'm personally not a perfectionist but I always am curious about what it would be like to be one. Would it drive me to get everything done in the best way I possibly could? Or rather would it send me over the edge, and make me go crazy? I don't know, but i thought the article was interesting and I'm happy I read it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, I was pretty perfectionistic, but somewhere down the line I realized that perfection is not possible and aiming to do so anyways is a) time-consuming and b) energy-draining. One of the reasons I love music is because it's rooted in the ever-moving flow of time and once you perform something, you can't ever go back to fix it and just have to keep going, and there isn't one definite perfect for a lot of things in music.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, I was pretty perfectionistic, but somewhere down the line I realized that perfection is not possible and aiming to do so anyways is a) time-consuming and b) energy-draining. One of the reasons I love music is because it's rooted in the ever-moving flow of time and once you perform something, you can't ever go back to fix it and just have to keep going, and there isn't one definite perfect for a lot of things in music.
ReplyDeleteLike Kenna, I have never been a perfectionist, but I know several people who are perfectionists. After being friends with those people, I can safely say that I would never want to be a perfectionist. I know that the constant attention to detail would drive me crazy and would only distract me from what I was actually supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteThis topic has always confused me...... I honestly don't believe there is such a thing as being perfect especially in music. So people should be perfectionists because they will never achieve this imaginary state. I am also pushing myself to improve but I never tell myself I want to be perfect, because I believe there is always room to improve..... Maybe perfectionism is relative.
ReplyDelete*shouldn't
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ReplyDeleteI consider myself a perfectionist when it comes to certain things. This article definitely brought a few things with my attention - and I've always agreed with the whole procrastination idea. Even though someone has that strong drive to succeed and get everything done, there's still that fear of doing it wrong somehow that makes you want to put it off. That's something I personally experience!
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