Where Perfectionism Exists, Shame is Always Lurking

I used to take pride in being a perfectionist. I was the straight-A student, the one who checked everything twice (maybe five times), and never submitted anything less than flawless. I thought it meant I was responsible, driven, and admirable. But beneath all that effort was a lurking fear. Perfectionism made me productive, but it also paralyzed me. I’d spend hours tweaking a document, hesitate to…