Many people have perfectionistic tendencies but for some perfectionism causes big problems. People who are earnestly seeking to follow Christ and serve him in ministry seem to be more prone to struggling with perfectionism.
Perfectionism is a response to anxiety that can be damaging to your relationships and your performance. Our Perfectionism Test can help you assess if you’re struggling with this.
Perfectionism Test
For each question below answer “yes” if it’s generally true of you and “no” if it’s generally not true of you. (You may want to ask a close family or friend to confirm your answers to be sure you’re being realistic in your self-assessment.)
1. I often think that I should’ve done better than I did.
2. I tend to put things off if I don’t have the time to do them perfectly.
3. I’m afraid to fail when working on an important project.
4. I strive to impress others with my best qualities or accomplishments.
5. I think less of myself if I repeat a mistake.
6. I strive to maintain control of my emotions at all times.
7. I get upset when things don’t go as planned.
8. I am often disappointed in the quality of other people’s work.
9. I feel that my standards couldn’t be too high.
10. I’m afraid that people will think less of me if I fail.
11. I’m constantly trying to improve myself.
12. I’m unhappy if anything I do is considered average.
13. My home and office need to be clean and orderly always.
14. I feel inferior to others who are more intelligent, attractive, or successful than I.
15. I must look my very best whenever I’m out in public.
Scoring: Five or more yes answers suggest a significant problem with perfectionism. (This is a screening test. For an accurate diagnoses of depression or another mental disorder you need to an in person consultation with a health professional.)
