I believe that having high but realistic standards for ourselves, clear expectations of others, and a sense of personal ambition, can potentially be a good thing. This becomes unhealthy perfectionism when we get insecure about whether or not our efforts are good enough to get something we want (usually from other people - have you noticed that?) and start worrying and pushing ourselves too hard due to those fears. I am beginning to see perfectionism as a form of social performance anxiety.

I love an old story about the "Zen archer", who used archery as a form of meditation. He managed to feel at one with the bow, the arrow, the target. Hit a perfect bullseye every time he was in "the zone". One day he was invited to enter a contest. The second he started contemplating how much his fellow monks were counting on him, how important it had become to win the brass trophy ... he suddenly couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!