Dr. Chloe Carmichael Blogs

Many driven, intelligent people who want to "live their best life" are very interested in self-improvement. Their drive for excellence has a lot of positive aspects, but this healthy drive can also go into overdrive—making them vulnerable to perfectionism. Getting stuck in perfectionism can be demotivating and, ironically, become a barrier to creating the life they actually want.

As a clinical psychologist and author working with clients who want to increase their well-being and reach their goals, I've encountered a lot of people who struggle to find the balance between striving for personal growth and getting lost in perfectionism. Here are a few quick tips that can help people embrace their drive to succeed, without getting stuck in the pitfall of perfectionism:

Because I am a clinical psychologist, people ask me a lot of questions about mental well-being, both on social media and IRL. I recently invited my Instagram followers to ask me questions through the stories feature, and I received a number of responses. Here is one recent query that stood out:

Research has shown that for high-functioning people, a therapeutic alliance may be an even greater predictor of therapeutic success than the style of therapy being used. The therapeutic alliance is important for all therapy clients, but it may be especially important for high-functioning people—so let me unpack this for you.

Simone Biles reminds us that mental fitness is vital. Her decision to withdraw from a recent event in the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health was surprising to everyone—and very likely, even the gymnastics superstar herself. As a clinical psychologist, I recognize that this unexpected event spotlights that it can be brave to actually step away, even at moments of high reward. It also highlights the importance of self-care and boundaries—perhaps especially for those who aim high.  

I work with countless people who are driven, intelligent and often struggling with perfectionism. Through my experience, I've found it's essential to identify when tolerating some discomfort can support growth versus when it's healthier to take a break. This is important whether we're pushing ourselves physically or mentally.  

In fact, many of the best strategies for honing this type of self-awareness can actually apply to physical or mental challenges.

As a clinical psychologist, people ask me a lot of questions about mental well-being, both on social media and IRL. I recently invited my Instagram followers to ask me questions through the stories feature, and I received a ton of responses. Here is one recent query that stood out: