The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace With Your Inner Overachiever

For some women, success is a relative term. One in six women is an overachiever, constantly striving to do more, better, faster, and look fabulous at all times—so if you are looking around the room at your five closest friends thinking they’re all slackers, it’s you! You know who you are: the successful woman who feels competitive with her own friends and family members; the stick-thin athlete who won’t stop working out; the guilt-ridden executive who always feels she has to do more than others to stay ahead; the grown-up “Little Miss Perfect” who can’t stop being the Stepford wife and mother. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you achieve, your life remains totally out of balance. Achievements should not be the total measure of how a woman feels about herself.

Syndicated radio talk-show host Cooper Lawrence has been there. With humor and compassion, she helps readers assess the overachiever’s goals, their states of mind, the pressure from their families . . . and lets them know it’s not a bad thing to be an overachiever—some people are just born that way! Cooper’s book defines the physical and emotional effects of someone who suffers from the big “O,” explains why she does it, and offers a reality check and advice on creating balance. With common sense and “Tales from the Treadmill” case studies, this book explores the best ways to do it all and still achieve real success—self-acceptance.