Perfectionism vs. the Pursuit of Excellence

There is a healthy alternative to perfectionism. It's called the Pursuit of Excellence. Here are three ways in which the two differ:

1. Perfectionism means thinking less of yourself because you earned a B+ instead of a A. The pursuit of Excellence means thinking more of yourself for trying something new.
2. Perfectionism means being hard on yourself because your aren't equally talented in all sports. The Pursuit of Excellence means choosing some things you know you'll be good at -and others you know will be good for you or just plain fun.
3. Perfectionism means beating yourself up because you lost the student council election. The Pursuit of Excellence means congratulating yourself because you were nominated, and deciding to run again next year -if that's what you want.

How can you become a Pursuer of Excellence? By:

• determining the sources of your perfectionism
• reassessing your feelings about failure and success
• standing your ground against people who pressure you to be perfect
• learning ways to be easier on yourself so you're free to take risks and try new things

What other ideas do you have for pursuing excellence?

When Gifted Kids don't have all the answers, by Jim Delisle & Judy Galbraith