Is perfectionism overrated?
Hello.
My name is Bob.
I am a quiet, perfectionist, who tends to overthink everything.
Submit, Submit
I have to laugh at myself.
Illustration by Golden Cosmos
Perfectionism
I Understand Me
- Waiting too long or doing extensive, unnecessary research to avoid making a wrong move.
- Over planning or rewriting messages and tasks to control every possible outcome.
- Obsessing over what other people meant by a look or a comment, leading to unneeded, internal, unspoken conflict.
Physical Echoes
I am good at holding physical stress, including a clenched jaw, tight shoulders and chest, and holding my breath.
Even as I type this I am aware that I am clenching my teeth and have to relax.
I’ve learned to coach myself to breathe. Just breathe.
And when all of the above comes into play I know I have overstretched myself. And then I look for an exit plan.
An exit plan is to see when my responsibilities will have a window of 4-5 hours or even a day in the next two weeks. And then I look forward to a break.
On. my calendar, I can see a morning in nine days when I have nothing scheduled. Seeing that space/margin is helpful. I just have to get there.
John Macaskill says, “My gut treats an open hour as a problem to solve instead of a tank to fill.” Yep.
Want to see where running low has your focus and steadiness right now? The free Focus Score grades you across 8 areas in under 5 minutes.
The website says the questions are designed for males, however why not try it and see what you find? Take your Focus Score: https://focusnowtraining.com/focus-score
Why?
So, why write this? Why be vulnerable. Because a REVwords reader may be just like me. And maybe they can see that how they feel and act does not make them inferior or broken.
Did you know that overthinking is one of the most widely shared cognitive habits ever measured? 73% of adults aged 25 to 35 identify as overthinkers. (“Overthinking Statistics: The Research in Numbers,” mindflex.world/overthinking-statistics, 2026.)
Everyone has a structural weakness. It can be something you never grow out of; you simply learn to adapt and make the best of it.
With God’s sufficient help, I can. You can.
Can you relate? Please join the conversation and post a comment below. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
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