The Difference Between Excellence and its Harmful Cousin, Perfectionism
Are you pursuing excellence or perfection at school?
Pursuing excellence can lead to increased motivation and sense of accomplishment.
Perfectionism, on the other hand, has been shown to correlate with mental health problems including depression and anxiety. Perfectionism has also been linked with increased stress and burnout.
In coaching, I’ve seen educators cause themselves a lot of extra stress solely from the pressure they put on themselves to meet their own impossibly high standards.
I’ve also seen teachers begin to buckle when their school staff culture reinforces perfectionist mindsets. The rhetoric goes something like, “We see you reaching for the stars, and we’re not just going to ignore that those stars are unreachable, but we’re going to ask you every day why you aren’t reaching them.” Yeah, I know, not cool.
Below, find out how to spot the warning signs that your pursuit for excellence is turning to its unfriendly cousin perfectionism.
And while you’re reading, consider this juicy question as well: IS YOUR STAFF CULTURE PURSUING EXCELLENCE OR PERFECTIONISM?
3 Differences Between Excellence and Perfectionism.
These ideas come from our resource “Recovery from Perfectionism”, found in our Membership Library. Learn more about getting access to our library here.
I.
Enough is Enough
Excellence: On any given task, you know what “enough” looks like, and you stop when you've reached it.
Perfectionism: The work you do is rarely or never enough for your high standards. You often spend more time than you intended on tasks, even unimportant ones.
II.
Realistic Standards
Excellence: You consciously set realistic goals for your work tasks. You know they are realistic because you can maintain a healthy work-life balance and don’t feel burned out when you reach them.
Perfectionism: On any given task, you have standards that are so high you can’t reach them without feeling burned out or feeling like another area of your life suffers in some way.
III.
Open to Feedback
Excellence: You are objective and open when giving yourself feedback, or when accepting feedback from someone else. You accept critical feedback to learn and grow.
Perfectionism: You are defensive and critical when you receive feedback from others or from yourself. You tend to take criticism personally.
2 Quotes from Others
I.
“At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of failure. Fear of success.” - Michael Law.
II.
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.” - Anne Lamott
1 Question For You
After reading through these differences, do you tend to pursue excellence or perfectionism? Does your school culture encourage excellence or perfectionism?
Make sure to share this week’s 3-2-1 with an educator you care about :)
Until next week,
Emily Hemmingson
Health Coach for Teachers
Founder of The Teacher Wellness Center
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Today’s post was based on the resource, “Recovery from Perfectionism”. Use our member resources and archived webinars to build up your toolbox of stress management strategies, boundary-setting skills, and resilient mindset techniques.
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