Perfectionism, the Root of All Evil
After my kids make brownies, I enter the war-zone of my kitchen and have to bite my tongue (hard!) not to scream about the chocolate-covered counters and buttery cutlery scattered everywhere. When my husband and I make our bed, I stand there staring at him wide-eyed, amazed he doesn’t think to pull the sheets taut unless I tell him to. When I sit at the computer, I can’t rest until I’ve assured myself I’ve thought of everything — everything – I need to do to make my work as good as it can possibly be.
And, get this, I am no perfectionist! One look at my front hallway, linen closet, laundry room, book-keeping techniques (or lack thereof), my kids’ backpacks or bedrooms and you’d suss me out immediately: Slob. Lazy. Too busy to care.
Well, actually, none of the above. I do care, I’ve just learned I have to let go. No way I can be a helicopter parent, or even just a decent house-manager, and also be a happy, efficient, productive and sane woman.
What are your war stories? What really pushes your buttons and what do you let slide? Do you feel guilty about hovering too much or not enough? Is there a happy medium?
Tags: BUddha
May 31st, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I used to insist on cleaning the kitchen in the mornings before heading out to work and getting the kids to school AND I WAS ALWAYS LATE! It drove me so crazy I finally decided to throw everything in the sink and clear up later. It’s not the perfect solution at all, but I’m not late anymore.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I gave up on perfectionism long ago. My house is clean but often messy. I simply cannot keep up with the kitchen messes because I have teenagers and they eat all day and all night (as do their friends.) I have a pile of clean laundry in my bedroom that I pick through instead of putting it away…I now can walk by something on the floor and leave it there–sometimes for days!! I used to be really OCD when it came to having a tidy house but now I only worry about it if we are having people over or houseguests are staying with us.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:29 pm