Is Toxic Perfectionism Sabotaging Your Success?

 Do you hold yourself to such a high standard that you never feel like you’re ‘enough’? If you do, you’re not alone—in a culture where hyper-productivity is intrinsically linked to success, it can feel like the bar is often set higher than what you can reach.

While there’s nothing wrong with holding yourself to a certain standard, your achievements can turn toxic when perfectionism creeps in.

Toxic perfectionism can be directed at ourselves, how others see us, and how we see the world.

Toxic perfectionism stems from the desire for excellence at the expense of our personal well-being. It can show up when you have a goal that you want to get ‘just right’. Chances are that you never want to make a mistake when you’re working towards the goal, which can set you up for disappointment.  

When you feel as though you’ve failed at something because it was ‘perfect’, you’ve now fallen into the self-fulfilling prophecy of toxic perfectionism. You start to think that you shouldn’t go for that promotion or try out a new hobby because if you’re not going to get it exactly right on the first try, then why even bother trying?

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t be a perfectionist because I’m not good at anything,” you might be battling toxic perfectionism.

When we strive for perfection, it often comes from a place of worrying about what others will think of us. This desire for external validation can be exhausting, and it often gets in the way of succeeding in ways that are personally meaningful to us.

When left untreated, toxic perfectionism can lead to a number of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, eating disorder, and suicidal ideation.

Caring for our mental health is crucial to living our values and achieving our goals, making it all the more important to stop toxic perfectionism as soon as you notice it.

Toxic perfectionism steals the joy that comes from reaching our goals and overshadows any attempts to learn from our setbacks.

The fear of failing caused by toxic perfectionism often prevents us from attaining the very success we try to achieve.

Do any of these toxic perfectionism traits sound like you?

Your self-worth is dependent on how others perceive your success

You procrastinate or abandon projects if you know they won’t be perfect

You’re unable to celebrate your achievements

You’re easily upset by constructive criticism

You avoid taking risks out of fear you will fail

If you think that toxic perfectionism may be standing in the way of your success, TalkSpace can set you up with a licensed therapist to discuss your goals and get your life back on track. Sign up today so you can learn to celebrate your achievements and make a plan for future growth.