I’ve recently begun to recognize how self-sabotaging and hindering perfectionism can be. Perfectionism almost sounds virtuous. After all, what harm could there be in striving to reach perfection?
That’s not how perfectionism plays out, however. With perfectionism, the standard of perfection can never be realized. So rather than attempting to get as close as possible, one protects oneself from the shame and disappointment of falling short by avoiding the work, the endeavor, or the dream altogether. Avoidance tends to manifest itself as procrastination, distraction, laziness, foggy-headedness, or even a state of being busy with other, less meaningful work.
