A Perfectionist's Journey to Self-Redemption

Recently, I came across a personality test to determine if you have perfectionist tendencies:

(1) Do you frequently set goals for yourself that you ultimately fail to achieve?

(2) When something isn't done well enough, do you feel the urge to try again?

(3) Do you find yourself thinking about studies, work, or other unresolved matters even during rest time?

(4) If someone interrupts you or breaks your concentration, do you feel annoyed?

(5) Do you often think afterward that things could have been handled in a better way?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you have perfectionist tendencies.

Looking at myself, I am that perfectionist. I often feel distressed when something isn't done well enough. The consequence is: in pursuit of "perfection" on one task, I invest excessive time and effort, neglecting other things that truly need priority attention. And even after all that effort, the result may still not be the "perfection" I was hoping for.

I read an article that said:

Perfectionism is a kind of pressure — it creates unrealistic expectations. You've clearly achieved a normal standard, but because the goal is set too high, you still seem far from the destination. Your mindset becomes: this still isn't good enough; it can still be improved.

Perfectionism consumes our most precious resources and time, diverting attention from true priorities.

Perfectionism is pursuing a higher-level goal and refusing to accept a lower-level but usable result. I've always told myself to break this habit of pursuing perfection.

Perfectionism has already caused me stress and even prevents me from starting certain things. I always want everything to be perfectly in place before beginning, but the result is that nothing is ever perfectly in place, there's no favorable wind, and the task just gets shelved.

A military article I read mentioned their special forces' shooting philosophy: Fire fast, aim relatively!

This seems to apply to gaming too — like PUBG, where you need fast reaction time. Just shoot first regardless of whether you hit anyone. Even if you miss, you can still scare the enemy, haha.

This philosophy seems applicable to perfectionists like me. "Doing it fast" is better than "doing it perfectly." Don't be too fixated on "perfection." Just like when I started writing my blog — I know my writing isn't great, but that doesn't stop me from starting. I believe I'll get better over time.

Finally, psychologists have also said that pursuing perfection isn't good for mental health. Don't chase perfection — live life as it comes!