The Light from the Dark

“Perfect Girl” is my response to the fear of not being good enough. I created her to help me deal with this. Like most things in life, there’s a yin and a yang to being a perfectionist. I will tell you that she has taught me some very valuable lessons and strengths that I will most definitely keep in my quest for healthy achievement, while I strive to tame the unhealthy aspects of these same lessons and strengths.

1. I can figure out anything I want to. I figured out how to go back to college with small children. I figured out how to lead a volunteer group while working full time and traveling 50%. I figured out how to have a successful marriage while I traveled extensively for my job.
2. To be tenacious. I’m like a dog with a bone when I want to succeed at something. I will not quit until I’m all out of ideas to try (and maybe not even then).
3. To be creative. Coming from a childhood background that was scarce in resources, I naturally figured out different ways to get the results I was after.
4. The love of learning new things. Some of my more creative ideas have entailed new things that I’ve had to learn in order to try them. I now have a passion for learning new things every single day.
5. I’m very aware of excuses and strive to minimize my use of them. I try never to say the word “Can’t”. I would rather say “Won’t” as that is the truth and doesn’t promote victim mentality.
6. Act, even when I’m afraid. I’ve taken over a crisis more times than I can count.
7. Failure is just a learning opportunity. Even though I beat myself up for it, I’ve always learned something new from every failure I’ve experienced.
8. To compartmentalize when I want to focus. I can sit in a room full of people talking while reading a book and I honestly do not hear them. This little jewel drives my husband crazy.
9. To be accountable for my actions.  I always knew that all my decisions were my decisions and that I’m in control of them.
10. Organizational procedures and processes. Since I was always striving to be better than most, I naturally adopted a continuous improvement mindset.

I’d love to hear what positive things you have experienced as a result of your perfectionism.