Why Being a Perfectionist Is Bad for You

There’s a big difference between pushing yourself to be your best and being a perfectionist. It’s OK to hold yourself to a high standard. This means you work hard no matter what and do everything in your power to be the best cheerleader you can be. However, the emphasis is on effort, not on results. If you try your best and don’t get the results you want, that’s out of your control. All you can do is keep your head up and work hard so your best is better next time. A perfectionist isn’t satisfied with anything less than absolute perfection, which is unrealistic, so she or he will never really feel a sense of accomplishment. Even the best cheerleaders in the world have room for improvement, after all. Here are five reasons being a perfectionist is bad for you: You put too much pressure on yourself. Placing this expectation of perfection on yourself adds a lot of pressure. Even if you are the kind of athlete who thrives under pressure, this kind of pressure has a negative aspect that will just weigh you down. You don’t want doubt and fear clouding your confidence! You are afraid to try new things. When you are a perfectionist, you have a major fear of failure. That means you will want to stick to the things you are already good at and shy away from trying new things. This could limit you significantly in cheerleading and beyond. It is OK‚ and even expected‚ to “fail” when you try something new. That’s why you have to work at it to keep getting better! You set unrealistic expectations. Since even the best athletes in the world have room for improvement, setting a standard of perfection is unrealistic. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim high. It just means you shouldn’t hold yourself to standards that are impossible to meet. Perfectionism can carry into other areas of your life. Being a perfectionist can lead to problems outside of cheerleading as well. For instance, it can affect things like your body image if you start holding yourself to unreal standards of beauty and even your career, relationships, and other parts of life if you expect your life to be just like the movies. You could become judgmental. If you hold yourself to unattainable standards, chances are you will expect others to meet those same standards. This can impact your relationships if you are being too hard on your teammates, friends, and family instead of just supporting and appreciating them for who they are. Bottom line: Holding yourself to high standards is more than OK, but be gentle with yourself. Judge yourself based on effort and intentions. Be careful with how you define perfection, and let others be themselves. Encourage your teammates to be the best they can be, but don’t hold them to your own standards. Let them be themselves!