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There was some good, helpful info in this, but the author's definition(s?) of perfectionism is trying to be too many things. Sometimes it seems that "perfectionist" = Type A personality, other times it seemed that it was just existing as a woman in today's society. Often perfectionist characteristics are generalized in a way that isn't true for me (maybe I'm just a super well-adjusted perfectionist ?). Needed more focus but still beneficial.

Favorite read of July was The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler

@chasjjlee

I usually only read 3 books at a time, but I had a library hold come through unexpectedly early, so I'm reading 4 this weekend.

Library: The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler
Nonfiction: Tiny Humans, Big Emotions by Alyssa Blask Campbell and Lauren Elizabeth Stauble
Audiobook: Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
e-book: Sammy Espinoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

I like this more than I anticipated. It's more opinion/self help than science, but the author's messages---that perfectionism isn't pathological but it can present in maladaptive ways, that none of us needs to earn self-care or pleasure, that reframing how we look at a situation can make small but powerful changes---are ones that hit me at just the right time. I probably won't buy it, but I will write down the points that most resonate for me.

I liked Schafler‘s style of writing and the comparisons she made to make her points more understandable. I learned a lot from this book, like that there are 5 types of perfectionists and adaptive and maladaptive traits of each. It‘s already helped me see things in a different way.

This self-help book really made me think. She lists five types of perfectionists, and I am definitely a Parisian perfectionist, who wants perfect relationships and everything to look easy. (Other types: classic, intense, messy, and procrastinator) Instead of trying to fight against one‘s perfectionistic tendencies, Schafler gives ways to harness them and live a better life. I‘m going to buy a print copy because I just loved this!

I had my reservations about how impactful this would be because the author was an on-site therapist at Google (Is this just another Lean In?), but the blurbs were so impressive…I was disappointed to find it‘s much more on the self-help side than the psychology side. The 5 kinds of perfectionists is a fun concept, but I wanted more about the science, history, and psychology of the subject and for perfectionism‘s relationship to racism addressed.👇