A former on-site Google therapist shares the 5 types of perfectionists—and what makes them so successful - CNBC

Perfectionists aren't balanced people, and that's okay.

As a psychotherapist, I've worked with galore self-described perfectionists, each of them bright, ambitious, hardworking radical who inexplicably felt that thing was incorrect with them.

But arsenic I delved into their stories, arsenic good arsenic the probe connected perfectionism, I came to a startling realization: Perfectionism is not a pathology, and treating it similar 1 is causing countless radical — mostly women — to endure needlessly. 

Based connected my objective work, I've identified 5 types of perfectionists. As you work done the profiles, support successful caput that perfectionism is simply a fluid and context-dependent construct.

For example, you could beryllium a messy perfectionist erstwhile it comes to dating and an aggravated perfectionist astatine work. Understanding your illustration volition assistance you admit and negociate your unsocial tendencies. 

1. Intense perfectionists

Intense perfectionists are effortlessly nonstop and support razor crisp absorption erstwhile it comes to achieving their goals. Left unchecked, their standards tin spell from precocious to impossible, and they tin beryllium punitive with others and themselves for not gathering their standards.

2. Classic perfectionists

Classic perfectionists are highly reliable, accordant and detail-oriented, and they adhd stableness to their environment. Left unchecked, they conflict to accommodate to spontaneity oregon a alteration successful routine, and tin person a hard clip processing meaningful relationships.

3. Parisian perfectionists

Parisian perfectionists person a live-wire knowing of the powerfulness of interpersonal transportation and clasp a beardown capableness for empathy. Left unchecked, their tendency to link to others tin metastasize into toxic people-pleasing.

4. Procrastinator perfectionists

Procrastinator perfectionists excel astatine preparing, tin spot opportunities from a 360-degree perspective, and person bully impulse control. Left unchecked, their preparative measures deed a constituent of diminishing returns, resulting successful indecisiveness and inaction.

5. Messy perfectionists

Messy perfectionists effortlessly propulsion done the anxiousness of caller beginnings, are superstar thought generators, accommodate to spontaneity well, and are people enthusiastic. Left unchecked, they conflict to enactment focused connected their goals, yet spreading their vigor excessively bladed to travel done connected their commitments.

If you're not definite which illustration champion fits you, take the quiz here.

It's important to recognize that when people say, "I'm a perfectionist," they're not saying that they expect themselves, others, the weather, oregon adjacent each events that unfold successful beingness to beryllium perfect.

Perfectionists are powerful, intelligent radical who admit that everything can't enactment retired perfectly each the time. What they sometimes person occupation with is knowing wherefore they consciousness truthful compelled to endlessly strive, oregon wherefore they can't conscionable bask relaxing "like a mean person." 

Perfectionism is simply a power, and similar immoderate power, it tin beryllium harnessed constructively. If you admit yourself successful the perfectionist profiles above, see exploring your perfectionism. It whitethorn astonishment you however overmuch powerfulness you have.

In the midst of that exploration, besides see this idea: There's thing incorrect with you. 

Katherine Morgan Schafler is simply a psychotherapist, writer and speaker. Formerly, she was an on-site therapist astatine Google. She earned degrees and trained astatine the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University, with postgraduate certification from the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy successful New York City. Her archetypal book, "The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control" is retired now.

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