Meryl's Notes Blog

Growing up, I was a perfectionist. Part of it driven by my hearing loss. I didn’t want people thinking I was weak. I wanted to prove I was as good as the average person, or better.

Thankfully, my perfectionist tendencies dropped over the years. Probably having three kids and my own business had something to do with it. Too many things going on to waste time getting something just right.

I should count my blessings that the perfectionist in me quietly slithered away. Organizational psychologists discovered that out perfectionism hurts more than it helps [Link: Mark].

Everything in life is about balance. Producing high quality work means doing it right and checking it over. But it doesn’t mean working longer than necessary to ensure perfection.

So why does my daughter still think I expect her to be perfect? I don’t. When she slips up on an assignment or test, I don’t make a big deal out of it or even talk about it. On the other hand, if low grades become a pattern, then we would need to discuss to ensure nothing is going on that affects her work.