How to survive law school without losing your mind

Perfectionism refers to a set of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors aimed at reaching excessively high unrealistic goals. Perfectionism is often mistakenly seen in our society as desirable or even necessary for success. However, recent studies have shown that perfectionistic attitudes actually interfere with success. The desire to be perfect can both rob you of a sense of personal satisfaction and cause you to fail to achieve as much as people who have more realistic strivings.

Commitment to excellence. Acute attention to detail. Impeccably high standards. Such attributes are commonly cited among the qualities that make a first-rate lawyer. They are also routinely equated with perfectionism. It is no surprise, then, that many lawyers embrace their perfectionism as a virtue for which they will be recognized and rewarded if they can just maintain their unblemished veneer. But perfectionism is not synonymous with excellence. In fact, the pursuit of it may ultimately result in more harm than good—personally as well as professionally.

Procrastination technically refers to the avoidance of a specific task or work which needs to be accomplished. But this technical explanation doesn’t begin to capture the emotions triggered by the word. For most of us, the word "procrastination” reminds us of past experiences where we have felt guilty, lazy, inadequate, anxious, or stupid–or some combination of these. It also implies a value judgment; if you procrastinate, you are bad, and as such, you lack worth as a person.