Overcoming Perfectionism: A Personal Journey

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Approximately 30 percent of the general population suffers from perfectionism, and I admit that I fall under this 30 percent. At a young age, I developed a terrible habit of obsessing over a project that I felt needed to be “fixed” until the moment it needed to be turned in. These perfectionist tendencies made me feel as though I shouldn’t even start projects, for fear that my work wouldn’t be good enough.
This vicious cycle of seeking perfection and fearing failure continued until I was seventeen, but it took just one day to turn everything around. Junior year of high school was particularly difficult for me. After attending online school, I had returned to public school and was trying to adjust to taking direct criticism from my teachers. One night, while rehearsing an audition scene for …show more content…

Almost everything that isn’t routine makes me nervous; tests, acting, and meeting new people are just a few examples. Nervousness will always come naturally to me, but I will not allow myself to be inhibited by a few jitters. Moreover, I no longer expect perfection out of everything I do. No one enjoys failing, but our flaws are what make us who we are. I understand now that failure is a part of being human, and it is nothing to panic about. No one expects me to be a professional at life, so I can’t expect it from myself either. Plus, if I never fail at anything, how am I supposed to learn? I sit here in my less than perfect bed, writing this less than perfect paper with my less than perfect mind, feeling utterly content. I live a less than perfect life in a less than perfect world, but I wouldn’t want to stop living it for a second. My fears and concerns will not limit my dreams and aspirations. Therefore, fear of imperfection will not determine my future; I can be whoever I want to be. I believe that fear of failure shouldn’t keep you from living your life. I plan on living my life to the fullest. Do

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