Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
Students wear multiple hats as degree-seekers, employees, organization members and more. Ambition and dedication are admirable qualities, however, they can lead students to push themselves too hard.
For some, being labeled as “average” is an insult. It undermines their hard work and suggests that they are wasting their time if they are not pushing themselves to achieve more. Despite this, allowing oneself to be less than perfect in their roles can help students protect their well-being while exploring numerous interests.
By the time college comes around, many are conditioned to strive for nothing less than perfection. During high school, students are encouraged to maintain high GPAs, take on leadership positions and be active in their communities to cultivate unique admissions profiles. Familial and personal expectations increase pressures to exceed.
The root of such desires runs deeper than a need to collect achievements. Getting into a good university, for example, is seen as the first step towards a fruitful career and economic stability. Acceptance into a top school is a means of survival, not just validation.
Nearly 89% of students experience things like emotional, mental and physical exhaustion in the pursuit of perfection. Far too many students are pushing themselves beyond their limits, creating a culture where exhaustion is normal and even necessary. The destructive cycle continues, brushing off unhealthy obsessions as determination.
Distancing oneself from perfectionism is no easy feat, especially when it has been prevalent in one’s life for years due to social pressures. One potential solution to this is finding comfort in being ordinary. People should not abandon their pursuits of high standards but take care to remember that time and energy are limited resources.
To begin to combat burnout, students must evaluate how they allocate their efforts and the importance of each commitment. Taking on fewer, more targeted responsibilities may allow more efficiency within schoolwork, for example.
Further, it is important to develop a personal metric of success. Often, this is informed by outside opinions from family, society or peers. One may find that the things important to others aren’t important to them, and it’s vital to define what success means as an individual rather than striving to the standards of others.
For decades, success has been measured by academic and professional achievements. Everyone should strive to attend a prestigious university, excel in a white-collar career and start a family, according to traditional markers of achievement.
The cookie-cutter idea of a good life is not only unobtainable for some but also undesirable. A white picket fence can symbolize restriction rather than security when the means of achieving it discourages individuality.
A simple, average life isn’t a bad thing, but rather the result of prioritizing peace rather than eye-catching ideals. Working a 9-5 as opposed to fulfilling CEO ambitions and other lofty achievements provides the stability needed to explore personal interests. Saying no to some opportunities in spite of pushing oneself to unachievable standards leaves time to nurture personal relationships.
Allowing a list of accomplishments to define one’s self-worth ensures an endless cycle of fatigue. There will always be more to achieve and improve, and chasing perfection will lead to discontent and feelings of inadequacy.
Victories are not guaranteed. Perseverance improves the likelihood of success, but loss and rejection are inevitable. In placing one’s self-worth in winning and defining oneself by their societal role, defeat cuts even deeper. The initial sting is worsened by daunting thoughts that the outcome reflects who they are.
Abandoning traditional success and daring to be “mundane” is no easy feat in a world obsessed with status and results. Despite this, undergoing that challenging mental shift could bring great payoffs, or at the very least alleviate the perpetual stress that exhausts students.
This is not to say that hard work should be abandoned, but it should not take priority over one’s health.
Anaya Baxter is an integrated communications junior who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
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“It’s okay to be average, not strive for perfection all the time” was originally posted on The Cougar