Do you dwell on small mistakes for hours, days, or even weeks after they occur? Are you crushed when someone points out a small flaw in your work? Have you ever spent four hours fine-tuning a task that could have been completed in 10 minutes?

Repeating the affirmation "progress, not perfection" will help you to create an attitudinal shift that will better equip you to accept your own limitations as well as those of your family members, friends, and coworkers.

This idea of perfection -- no flaws, no issues, no problems -- seems to infiltrate all our lives at one time or another. And like the yearning for perfection in the workplace, we also yearn for perfection in other aspects of our lives.

January is not the problem. It's us. Well, our perfectionism, to be specific. Our all-or-none thinking frames our life so that if we're not succeeding every second, we're failing. Nobody wants that. But nobody can be that "perfect" person either.

I believe that perfection is actually an illusion that we created and is based on the fear that we would no longer evolve as humans if something wasn't pushing us to be better. But what if evolution were to come from our desire to learn and grow instead of to get ahead?

With holiday tasks to accomplish, work projects to be finished, and family obligations to be met, realize that something has got to give. Perhaps it's time for it to be your perfectionism.

The main challenge with perfection is that perfection almost always lies just out of reach, sort of the impossible dream that can't be had. Indeed, perfection cannot be had, at least now how you might typically think about it; however, it can be experienced.

If you're fed up with feeling crazed, you might want to consider admitting how exhausting, depleting, and defeating your quest for perfection is, and that no matter how perfect you become, you will never satisfy your own critical voice. Perfectionists often set self-defeating goals.

Despite the fact that we may tell ourselves, "The holidays are a time to appreciate what we have and enjoy the people in our lives," many are actually focusing on something else: being "perfect."

Unfortunately, the pursuit of perfection doesn't make us happier or ease stress. A perfect body doesn't solve your emotional problems, a shiny new car doesn't mean you're any more likely to be taken seriously at work and a meticulously kept house can't keep you from financial issues.

You may see your perfectionism as a motivator that propels you to do your best. But it's impossible to feel fulfilled when nothing ever feels good enough.

The opposite of perfection isn't imperfection or mediocrity; it's reality. It's possibility. It's all the magnificent points that exist all around the bull's eye.

QUESTION: Dear Irene, I stumbled on your blog today, and wish I'd seen it before. I'm in my 50s; consider myself a good, loyal, and fun friend; and ...

Pursuing perfection can lead to perfection paralysis. There will always be one more iteration, one more change that will help move things along. But moving things along is motion, not perfection.

As I clinically see it there are 4 types of perfectionism: - Neurotic Perfectionism - Narcissistic Perfectionism - Principled (Puritanical) Perfect...

The question of whether or not I am a perfectionist was an absolute no-brainer to answer. The answer is 'no' and I have Barbra Streisand to thank for that.