Books › Never good enough
Never good enough
First published 1999 · 288 pages
A compassionate, practical guide to dismantling the exhausting inner critic and finding peace in the good enough.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting down with a deeply empathetic yet no-nonsense therapist who sees right through your exhausting facade of flawlessness. The pace is steady and deliberate, allowing you to absorb the cognitive behavioral strategies without feeling overwhelmed. It carries a validating, grounded mood, gently guiding you out of the dread-soaked cycle of never measuring up. The prose is clear and accessible, stripping away clinical jargon in favor of relatable case studies and actionable steps. It moves you from the heavy, anxious recognition of your own impossible standards toward a profound sense of relief and self-acceptance. This is a lifeline for chronic overachievers, anxious people-pleasers, and anyone desperate to quiet their relentless inner critic and finally breathe.
- Mood
- reflective
- validating
- hopeful
- grounded
- Tone
- empathetic
- clinical
- encouraging
- practical
- authoritative
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- overcoming self-doubt · the burden of high expectations · cognitive reframing · self-acceptance · breaking destructive cycles
- The writing
- Clear, accessible, and structured, blending professional psychological insight with relatable, conversational examples.
- The arc
- Moves from the heavy recognition of one's own exhausting standards to a sense of relief and actionable empowerment.
- Who it's for
- Chronic overachievers, people-pleasers, and anyone exhausted by their own relentless inner critic.
Content notes
- discussion of depression
- discussion of anxiety
- low self-esteem
About the book
Do you feel that no matter how hard you try it is never good enough? Do you spend too much time trying to get things exactly right, in order to avoid criticism? Does it seem that at any minute people will find out you are not really what you seem to be? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be struggling with perfectionistic tendencies. These tendencies an serve a positive purpose in your life, but having extremely high standards for yourself and others, and feeling repeatedly let down when these expectations aren't met, can leave you perpetually unhappy. Few of us escape the tyranny of perfectionism, whether plagued by our own feelings of inadequacy, or living or working with someone who never seems satisfied with what we do. As psychologist and researcher Monica Ramirez Basco explains, uncontrolled perfectionism can lead to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, fear of failure, and broken marriages and friendships. Understanding why you feel driven to get things "just right" can help you to make the best of you perfectionism without letting it run your life. Dr. Basco has developed a thirty-question self test that will help you determine your perfectionism profile and provide insight into the degree to which it affects your life. Her unique program-based on the principles of Cognitive Behavior Therapy- shows you step-by-step how to overcome perfectionist tendencies.
Description from Open Library.
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