Stand for Standards

We tend to think about expectations as originating from some external place and yet some of them are driven by our own energy. While they often motivate us to succeed, they can also drive us toward perfectionism tendencies that might become dysfunctional.

When we are challenged with high expectations and when we are inclined to establish high goals for ourselves, it’s possible that we strive for perfection. Even though perfection doesn’t exist, striving for it can push us to go further and reach higher but not always.

Occasionally, striving for perfection indicates that we’ve adopted unrelenting standards; a potentially unhealthy adaptation of internal expectations. Leslyn runs through a list of conditions that may indicate the condition.

Their conversation offers stories and examples of how misplaced expectations can become disruptive unless we become acutely aware of them in our day to day life.

They offer suggestions about mitigating the effects of perfectionism and clarifying healthy internal expectations.