Often people look up to you for your high aspirations and for the amount of effort you put in to each and every thing you do -- but it's not all good. The extreme of any attribute has its pitfalls, especially perfectionism. If you're a perfectionist, you can relate to the following:

1. You wanted to do all the work in your group project because you thought only you could do it the right way (a.k.a. the way that causes you to stay up multiple nights in a row until the project is completely polished up).

2. You don't want to ask for help from anyone for anything.

3. You're not sure how to tackle a paper unless the rubric tells you exactly what it wants.

4. "Well, at least you tried" isn't a comment you would ever feel comforted by.

5. You put off starting things on your to-do list because you know it'll take you forever to check them off the list.

6. And on that note, you allow yourself much more time than necessary to complete even little daily tasks like going to the gym, eating or getting ready to ensure you always have enough time.

7. When things don't pan out exactly as you planned, it gives you anxiety like crazy.

8. You have no shame in washing the dishes in the sink at your friends' houses or cleaning up after them when you're over.

9. You'd rather do something the same way you've always done it because you know it works, and you tend to cringe at change.

10. Everything can always be better.

11. You won't be satisfied until your results come -- and you tend to allow your results to dictate your happiness.

12. You don't understand how your friends can just "half-do" something.

13. You care much less about how you do something and more about completion, so when professors want you to focus on the "process," it drives you to insanity.

14. You feel like a grade can define you as a person.

15. You refuse to believe when professors tell you, "You have to fail to succeed," even though they have years and years of experience.

16. And because of this perfectionism, sometimes you're afraid to take risks because you're not sure what will happen.

Sure, sometimes your perfectionism will drive you to success, but it's important for a perfectionist to realize the need to allow yourself to have some slack. Life isn't life without mistakes.