When Perfect Isn't Good Enough: Strategies for Coping with Perfectionism

Not only are the strategies in this book effective, but the information behind them and why you are a perfectionist is illuminating. I learned a lot about why I am this way, which is very helpful in understanding the behaviors in order to break these bad habits that exhaust your time and your mind.

The authors state that there are many kinds of perfectionism. While I agree somewhat, I find some of the behaviors described here to fit more neatly into other categories and other types of treatment. Much of this book misses the point for me and my family. I understand that OCD can have some elements of perfectionism, as a hand-washer strives to be perfectly germ-free. Social anxiety can involve some perfectionism, as appearing "imperfect" to others makes one anxious. Even depression can have perfectionistic aspects, as one feels helpless to live up to some socially prescribed standard. But I do not believe one type of treatment suits all of these.The perfectionism that affects my family is more of a "self-oriented perfectionism" as described on page 11: having self-imposed standards that are unrealistically high and impossible to attain. This leads my son into a severe writers' block that paralyzes him when he is asked to write an essay. The authors distinguish three types of perfectionism: Self-oriented, other-oriented (expecting perfection from others), and socially prescribed perfectionism. But they then ignore the distinction and treat them all about the same. I did not find this book to be useful.

I bought this for my 46 year old son, who is a Perfectionist. I want him to realize that you can be happy and never achieve 100%. Perfection is important to him presently in his job as an inspector, but he has a life outside of his job that he needs to be working on. He is too hard on himself because he does not feel that he is measuring up to what he wants to become. He needs to relax more and be easier on himself. He is absolutely fine, just as he is now.

This book is great for trying to over-come perfectionism if that's what you want to do. I finished this book thinking maybe it's ok to be a perfectionist and maybe more people should be perfectionists.

Great book. Much more useful than the "personal journey"/narrative style of other books about perfectionism. The style here is textbook or encyclopedic; as if you're researching the condition as opposed to someone telling you what to do. However, its encyclopedic breadth is a double-edged sword. The book could benefit from a tighter focus to make it more user friendly--particularly, reeling in its sprawling organization. Gotta wonder how many perfectionists have already rewritten this book. At any rate, this book is the best popular resource for perfectionism.

Practical and insightful information for perfectionistic thinking and behaviors. This book approaches perfectionism stemming from various issues including GAD, OCD, depression, and many others. The exercises are explained well and easy to follow.

Would recommend for people who need constant reminders and reassurance who suffer from moderate to severe OCD.

I grew up believing that I was never 'good enough' but now I understand why I felt that way and how I can live better by after having read this book.

Parcel came open! Book covered has been damaged and put back. Very upset.

Excellent book with amazing strategies and exercises, clearly written by professionals who are experts on the subject. The authors go straight to the point, then give examples to help you understand and concrete exercises to put the theory to practice. No waste of time or pointless chatter. It contains very solid, tried and true material and thoughtful, helpful, efficient strategy to help you help yourself with your perfectionist issues. The book is realistic and doesn't promise miracles; it gives you tools, but states clearly that you have to do a lot of the work yourself. I worked on my perfectionism issues with a psychologist for 4-5 sessions, then a year later I still had some issues so I bought this book and finished the job by myself. Now I can really enjoy my life, work and hobbies without being so hard on myself! This book was so helpful, it really helped me change my outlook on myself and my life. If the book alone is not helping you, it might be helpful to see a psychologist and read the book, as recommended by the authors inside and as I did. Definitely a game changer for perfectionists who want to stop worrying so much and start enjoying life.

As Recommended and received as expected.

I have always known that I have been a 'perfectionist' but didn't really understand what this meant and how badly it was affecting my life, work and relationships. I am still reading the book and know that I will continue to refer to it for some time to come as I have been like this for many years and you can't expect to change the habits and beliefs of a lifetime in a matter of days/weeks.It has helped me to have an insight into my personality and show me where being a perfectionist can be helpful but also the areas that it creates emotional distress and what you can do about it. I am still on my journey of recovery (being a perfectionist has lead me to suffer from depression) but this book has helped my understanding of me, where it comes from, why I do it and ways to help you through difficult situations and going forward.

Great book and arrived quickly!