Better than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love

Ever since I can remember I was a perfectionist. I never saw it as a particularly negative thing. I never thought it held me back, but at the same time I expected so much I myself. My standards were so unreasonably high. Not to mention, I measured my worth in terms of my ability to meet those impossible standards. I was disappointed I wasn’t as successful of an artist, as I thought I SHOULD be. I was only as good as my last accomplishment, which I probably didn’t think much of anyway. It wasn’t until I was watching a baking completion show on Netflix. There was a woman, having a mental break down because everything she was making wasn’t coming out perfectly like she had envisioned in her head. She explained she entered the competition to gain the respect, she had always be deprived of, from her father. He never told her he was proud of her and felt she fell short of his expectations. She labeled herself a perfectionist. That hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like looking in a mirror. I couldn’t help but wonder WHY this was a thing. Then and there, I started google searching about it. It was gut wrenching. I was like, “THATS ME.” with tears falling down my face. I read all I could about it and knew I had to find a way to change my life. That’s when I found “Better Than Perfect.” I learned, “Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough, and that we should try again. It is important to distinguish between a healthy desire for excellence and a stressful relentless need for perfection.” It affected so many important aspects of my life. What negative self-talk I said and thought in my head became my reality. You can’t just tell yourself to “be positive.” It’s deeper than a good mantra. It’s completely reframing the way that you THINK. Motivating yourself with PASSION instead of fear. I found out where it comes from and why. I now know that I always have a choice. I feel gratitude like I never have before and make a point to write down what I’m thankful for every day. I don’t let my fear of “saying the wrong thing” cripple me from social interaction. I can now say I’m become the best version of myself I can be. I try my best to remove judgement and practice forgiveness. I don’t compare myself to others to determine how I see myself. My life isn’t all about my work (since perfectionist tend to be workaholics.) Most importantly, my new thoughts are HAPPY ones. If you can relate to any of this, I implore you, to READ THIS BOOK. It takes a lot of work and self-exploration but if you want it bad enough you can do it. Not only for yourself but those around you. Those around you deserve the BEST version of you. You can become your true authentic self.I bought a copy for my Mom, Dad, brother and sister as well. 😁**the second photo is things I wrote down, maybe about a year ago, that I wanted to change about myself. Big surprise but they all are catalysts of being a perfectionist!

Some solid tidbits.

I found this book is really great, it is help me to release the stress and this book can give me an advice and idea as how to deal with difficult and hard people when they are give me a problem especially my parent, I think this book is really good to recommend to my parent to read if they can understand the English really well.Elizabeth is a really great psychology doctor and she publish book is writting really well, I am really love this book, this book is really easy to read, she is share her past experience to us and telling us how to deal if we are being too perfect, it is a really important things in our life as help us to deal with stress and pressure and also help us to build up and keep a good relationship to other people and not going to hard on them! Great! :)

Wonderfully written - Dr. Lombardo is clear and concise in describing the perfectionists traits and characteristics. Her book provides plenty of useful tips and strategies to help alleviate the self imposed stress that we put on ourselves...a great investment for anyone!

Nev thought I was a perfectionist, still don't but this book is written about me. How's that possible? Oh.(I get it... I'm 'better than perfect') It is opening my eyes to the real me. I put things off and it is helping me understand why and now I'm doing these things and getting them done. Great incite into the problems I face.

I'm about halfway through and want to recommend this book to everyone. We can all relate to feelings and behaviors in this book and the strategies to help you see yourself in a different way are great. I was quite surprised to find out that I am more of a perfectionist than I thought. It is straightforward and gives you the tools you need to affect change in your life. I can't wait to put these into practice. Great job Elizabeth.

Am still in first few chapters but love this style of writing and, more importantly, actually has information and ideas I haven't already come across. I'm fascinated by the connection between my perfection and eating. Has already been an eye opener! Is helping me let go of some of my self harshness for wanting perfection in all things I believe I have control over.

I am glad I bought this book, it has been very helpful although I have only read about forty or so pages.I plan to read the entire book.I would recommend this book.Its not overly complicated at least not so far and I don't think it will be.I first reviewed this thinking maybe I had read all I need to know,but that may not be the case so I am going to finish the book,not being in hurry.

Excellent