“Perfectionism is the fear of making mistakes. There are two sides to perfectionism. At its best, it is motivating and inspires you to set high goals for yourself. But it can also get out of control. Perfectionists can turn into workaholics because their efforts never feel good enough. They engage in all-or-nothing thinking about their performance — if it isn’t perfect, it’s horrible. They give up easily. They procrastinate on their goals, waiting for inspiration to strike or the timing to feel right. They avoid social situations if they aren’t feeling “on.” They organize their lives around avoiding mistakes and end up missing wonderful opportunities.”

— from My Year with Eleanor