I'm not sure where it stems from- probably my desire for control. Though it was sometimes helpful for getting good grades in school, it generally does me more harm than good.
Perfectionism makes me spend too much time on things that don't deserve that much of me. It makes me afraid to have people over when my house is a mess. It makes me present a false sense of who I am to those around me.
It chokes me. I want perfectionism to let me go- but that means I have to let go of the illusion of perfect. That's a work in progress.
I read a blog post that really hit the nail on head with my feelings about it. My favorite quotes are:
Perfect is merely a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land. (I think I may need to hang that one on my wall).
Perfect is rarely as interesting as real.
Check out the whole post: The only way to make it through most days by Lisa- Jo (The Gypsy Mama).