Perfectionism: What's Bad about Being Too Good?

by Miriam Adderholdt-Elliott, Miriam Elliott, M.A. Galbraith, Judy (Foreword)

Help for Superkids, workaholics, type A's, straight A's, procrastinators, overachievers, and caring adults. This revised and updated edition of a Free Spirit classic includes new research and statistics on the causes and consequences of perfectionism and new strategies for avoiding (or escaping) the perfectionism trap.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Olavia Kite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi psicóloga me mandó a leer este libro hace un montón de tiempo, pero se me había olvidado hasta ahora. Por fin podré devolvérselo.

El libro está más que todo dirigido a adolescentes y personas que están estudiando, pero hubo algunos puntos que me fueron útiles. Hubo una época en la que yo sentía que había caído en la inactividad total, pero ahora creo que fue el temor crónico a no hacer las cosas bien. El maldito perfeccionismo. Aplazar todo también es un síntoma de eso, y no tiene ningún sentido. ¿Por qué no les he escrito a mis amigos de otros países en los idiomas que ellos hablan, en los que no soy tan buena? Por el maldito perfeccionismo. Y así es que uno aplaza y aplaza y aplaza. Si no lo hago, no la embarro. Y ahí uno la está embarrando de una. Lo mismo con mi blog; creo que no tengo nada que decir, y cuando tengo algo que decir, pienso que no es tan interesante y ahí queda el blog abandonado. Mal.

En fin, fue un libro útil y esclarecedor. Ahora que ya entiendo lo que pasa por mi cabeza cuando aplazo las cosas, puedo hallar el mecanismo para dejar de aplazarlas.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I would have gotten this book in 1996. I think it would have helped me self-identify before I experienced the consequences of the procrastination/perfectionism with which I still struggle. Growth mindset, though...I’m working on it! I’m getting better at limiting my responsibilities and making tome to be refreshed and relaxed.

Not only does this book profile what perfectionism looks like, it offers practical tools to help people modify these behaviors and move forward with the awareness of how to manage their tendencies.

On an unrelated note, the cultural references tend to be a bit outdated. People may not care that Raquel Welch does/did yoga, or know what Leave it to Beaver is.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing earth-shattering, but a good reminder to live in the moment, and not to be too hard on myself. I definitely have the "first-born, eager beaver" personality and have jokingly said that I am a recovering perfectionist. Growing up I definitely tied my identity to my performance and never felt like I measured up. I was also one of those kids whose mom did my project so that they would impress people. I was never allowed to do my own fire-prevention poster or create my own report covers because I would "mess it up." It took me a long time to see that I was good enough. I've tried hard to teach my kids to enjoy their activities and that it wasn't about winning. However, my kids tend to struggle too. I find I "should" myself a lot too. I'm better but still a work in progress!

[Michelle-Anne Delisle]

It is a very old book but still has some good info. It is more for parents of children/teenagers or just teenagers. but again the info could be applied to any age. Would I recommend it? Probably not, due to the fact that it is older and some of the info is very dated. But it was a good read. Would love to see the author update the book then I would recommend it.

[Adisyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outdated, but nonetheless a helpful resource/read for adolescents needing an introduction into perfectionism. The author covers the different areas perfectionism can take hold of, with a high emphasis on school performance. (3.8/5)

[Chloe Burges · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written for teenagers. Has some useful insights but is quite outdated.