Demanding perfection

I am one of those individuals that has demanded perfection from myself in whatever I do. I am not saying I just need to get something done, I need to have it perfect before I am happy with it. Ok, what I am saying is I basically demand 125% out of myself and a lot of the time 100% out of anyone else.

So, you can see there is a major problem with this thinking, and it is very stressful on me. I was brought up being told if you can't do your best, why do it at all. So, I have developed the need for perfection out of myself and those around me. Over the last little while I have come to realize that 100% isn't always achievable and time will just not allow it to happen. Knowing that I can handle not being perfect has been very difficult for me.

I know that I get really upset sometimes when I can't achieve even close to 100% when I am working on something. I take courses and so often I exceed what is expected on the assignment because I have to do what I think is enough. Currently, I am taking a course, and we are given a word count for our assignments, and it is very difficult for me. I want to write a lot more than I am allowed because I think I need to include more detail before the assignment is good enough.

Yes, I still demand a high level out of myself but have realized that as long as I try my best it is good enough. Trying to be perfect all the time isn't what I try to achieve any longer, as I realize my 100% far exceeded what others expected of me.

So, remember 100% is great but it is very difficult to achieve.