Tag Archives: "perfectionism"

Further Secrets of Adulthood:   I cribbed this Secret of Adulthood from Voltaire. It reminds me: the 20-minute walk I take is better than the 3-mile run I never start. Having people over for take-out is better than never having people to an elegant dinner party. Agree, disagree?

Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we’re also plagued by those small but pesky Pigeons of Discontent. This week’s Pigeon of Discontent, suggested by a reader, is: “I’m a perfectionist, and I fear failure.”   If you want to … →

I only saw it once, and I can’t find it now online, alas, but I’ve never forgotten an old Saturday Night Live skit from many years ago. One of the characters, playing a frustrated swinger, says “Ladies, ladies, ladies! You’ve got to lower your standards.” I’ve often invoked that mantra — “Lower your standards” — when I find that there’s … →

I was thrilled to be on the Today Show to talk about holiday stress. Ann Curry interviewed me back in January, when The Happiness Project first came out (here’s that video). I really enjoyed doing that segment, so I was very happy to be speaking to her again. With me was Dr. Catherine Birndorf — which was a lot of … →