ARE YOU A PERFECTIONIST? If so, it means that you probably have a self-critical voice inside of you masking feelings of insecurity or low-esteem. If things are not perfect – if one fails to achieve any goal, realistic or unrealistic – that inner voice kicks in, generating frustration and irritability. In one’s personal life, it’s considered a symptom; in business it’s often considered a strength. Perfectionists set excessively high standards, and then become overly critical (of themselves or others) when they are not met. It’s destructive when you are trying to achieve an unrealistic goal, and yet it can drive you to achieve goals that often seem unreachable for the average person. When perfectionists do not reach their goals, they may become depressed. New research studies show that you can reduce destructive perfectionism by doing self-love exercises, lovingkindness meditation, keeping gratitude journals, and practicing forgiveness toward others. “Healthy” perfectionists (yes, there is such a thing!) have the ability to adapt to their failures by accepting the natural limitations of life while devising new strategies to do better in the future. There’s no limit to our capabilities, but there’s no benefit in beating ourselves up when we do not reach our ideal. Ideals are beacons, not goals. - Mark Waldman, PraxisNow Neuroscience Coach
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 10:00:00 +0000
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