An Imperfect Article About Perfectionism

There are a number of aspects that make college life difficult. For a perfectionist it can be a little bit more frustrating. For all you perfectionists out there, let me assure you, you are not alone. There are many of us that struggle with perfectionism. Writing this beginning paragraph will probably take me at least an hour. Why? Because I know peers will be reading. Like-minded individuals will be agreeing (or disagreeing) with what I have to say and I cannot let them down. I will have made about five different typos by now that I will have to go fix right at this instant.

One second...

OK, fixed.

I will read that first paragraph another two to five times yet and make numerous changes only to realize what I had first time was the best version. However, I can’t exactly remember how I phrased it. And then I will be disappointed in myself because of my lack of confidence to write a single paragraph. Dee, you're in college. You can write a paragraph in under an hour. But can I really?

It's a constant struggle, being a perfectionist. Everything must be perfect. Everything. Not because we think we're better than anyone or because we want the attention. But because it bothers us when things are out of place. There's nothing wrong with creating good quality work, especially when it comes to college. But be careful. Don't push yourself too hard. The older I get, the more I'm beginning to realize that it's OK to fail sometimes. Healthy, even. How will we learn if we do not fail and try again? Sometimes failing is the best way to perfect something in the future. It’s just a matter of standing up and trying again.

Imagine an artist. The artist paints a beautiful picture, but to him it is horrible. Lines are crooked, it’s not the right shade of blue, and the strokes aren’t good enough. In a fit of anger he rips up the painting, leaving the room with scattered pieces of his work on the floor. The next morning, as he walks past his studio, he notices the light shining on his ripped up work in just the right way to inspire him once more. In an exciting frenzy he picks up the pieces just to glue them together in a different way to make a new piece of art even more beautiful than the first.

It’s OK to be imperfect. We’re human; it’s in our nature. The wonderful thing is, we can take the pieces of our imperfections, put them back together, and make something even more beautiful.