We don’t often hear about the drawbacks of perfectionism. Instead, we celebrate obsession embodied by elite performers. That can be misleading. Stories of the obsessive work ethic shared by world class achievers like Kobe Bryant and Steve Jobs are everywhere; there are far more stories of people in pursuit of elite achievement who strain to prove their personal value through high accomplishment. Those stories end poorly. Far more often than not, perfectionism leads to decreased productivity, strained relationships, heavy anxiety, and an overall lower quality of life.