The assignment for Day 2 of the 30 Days of Truth challenge is to name something I love about myself. And oddly enough, one of the things I hate about myself is also one of my best qualities -- perfectionism.
This characteristic was on full display this past Thanksgiving when I was asked to bake the turkey. I had never baked a turkey before in my life so I was a bit hesitant to say the least. I was also more than a bit stressed out. When I wasn't biting my nails over the possibility that the turkey would come out a charred mess, I was pulling my hair out over the fact that the turkey was not thawing fast enough and envisioning my family members keeling over from food poisoning. My mother added to my anxiety by calling me on Thanksgiving morning to inform me that dinner would be served at 3 pm instead of noon. This after that turkey had been in the oven for over 2 hours. Would the turkey even be edible after sitting out at room temperature for so long?
Despite all of my fretting, I ended up producing a turkey that was not only picture perfect, but tasted like something any celebrity chef would be proud to serve. Everyone raved . . . I mean, raved about the turkey.
The whole thing got me to thinking: what kind of perfectionistic freak must I be to pull off something I had never done before with such excellence all the while worrying that I would be an abject failure?
Perfectionism, like most personality traits, has its advantages and disadvantages. Yes, having high standards of excellence makes you an extremely capable person in a variety of different ways, but it can also make you a nutcase. But I'm learning that disentangling my self-image from my performance helps me to find a balance between the two extremes and keeps the crazy in check.
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3 comments:
It's all about keeping the crazy in check!
What??!!!?? The crazy can be held in check? Write a book. I need the help.
See, you already took my advice! ;)
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