Have you ever heard the advice that when asked about your flaws in a job interview, one of the things you should say is that you’re a perfectionist?  Because while it may be somewhat of a fault, it could also come off as an advantage? Well, for now, I would like to dwell a little on the negative side of this quality. Although, as mentioned, it can be interpreted as a negative feature, I feel this side is not often discussed, and people focus more on the positive aspects of it. Well, here is my experience with this tricky trait.

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As mentioned, perfectionism can be a positive feature. It can help you achieve things and make them happen in the best possible way. However, as I also mentioned, it could have some pretty negative aspects. In my case, my perfectionism has held me back. My perfectionist nature scared me away from exploring new things and expanding my horizons. I was so scared to try something new, something else because I feared that I would fail. I didn’t want to do anything that I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I would ace, anything that might not turn out to be perfect.

It was a paralyzing feeling. I held myself back from trying and exploring new paths because of a fear of imperfections. I didn’t allow myself to explore to grow, to evolve. A big part of life, since the very beginning of it, is trying. And when we try something, whether it is for the first time or the tenth, we may not always succeed, and the result may not always be to our liking. But, if we won’t try, if we won’t put ourselves out there, we will be stuck in the same place. We have to dare and try, even if it means we’ll fail. It is from those moments we grow, and evolve, and become better. So, today, as uncomfortable as it may be, I am often challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and try new things, even if it means I’ll fail.