Let’s face it: struggling with perfectionism is common. Is it possible to have everything? To have the ideal career, house, gourmet meals, time to exercise (the list goes on), means that when we ace one of life’s many arenas, another one likely suffers. Instead of accepting this as truth and embracing that, as humans, we cannot be everything to everyone, including to ourselves, perfectionism creeps in, making false promises. Perfectionism is not all bad: it can be motivating, but the quest for perfectionism can also be damaging. The truth is perfectionism is unattainable because imperfection is an innate part of the human condition. Constantly falling short of perfection can have a significant negative impact on self-esteem, because as you’ve probably noticed by now, humans are naturally set up for this type of failure. As you think more about perfectionism, ask yourself what brings meaning to your life? I guarantee it will not be the sum of having “perfect” material goods or possessions or the “perfect” body. If you’re having a little trouble getting started, begin with a simple pros and cons list: what are the benefits of perfectionism for you? And what are the negative consequences?